Ottoman Cafe Tekirdağ

Tekirdağ is located in Trace (“Trakya” in Turkish), a region lying in the northwest of Turkey, neighbouring the huge metropolitan city of Istanbul in the east, the Black Sea in the north, the Marmara Sea in the south and the Aegean Sea in the west. The region also shares borders with Greece and Bulgaria. Tekirdağ Province, which has a strategical importance due to its geo-graphical position, is a gateway between Anatolia and the Balkans. The province, located in the south of Trakya and having some km coastlines of the Marmara Sea, deserves greatly the label of ‘’Pearl of Marmara’’ and is one of the most important provinces of the region as well as of the whole country with its natural beauties, history, cultural inheritance, and a strong socio-economic structure. The name “Tekirdağ” labels also one of the 30 metropolises of Turkey, which a flourishing city, industrial, agricultural and touristic, as well as a port city and a university city.

The oldest known name of Tekirdağ appeared as BISANTHE on the historical map of Herodotus in the 5th century B.C. This name remained unchanged until the defeat of the Persians. After that date, it started to appear as RHAEDESTUS ( B.C. and A.D.). Afterwards, it took the name RODOSTO. On the map showing the breakdown of Charlemagne Empire in , the script RODOSTO was on the top and the script RHAEDESTUS was on the bottom. RODOSTO was the name the Byzantine gave to it. This name has remained up until now. The Europeans use this name even today. As soon as the Ottomans conquered the area in , they began to call the city as RODOSÇUK. On the edicts, on the documents of “Divan-ı Humayun” (the Privy Council of the Ottoman Empire), and the gravestones this name was seen in the Ottoman Era. After on, the name TEKFURDAĞI began to be used. It’s known that Byzantine Feudal Lords were called “Tekfur” at the Ottoman’s Time; however, the exact reason for this name change is not known. As the period of Turkish Republic began, the name TEKİRDAĞ started to be used.

Tekirdağ, which is famous for its meatball and wine, is known as “the pearl of Marmara” with its more than km coastline, and it has indispensable touristic advantages with its natural beauties and cultural attributions. Tekirdağ, which displays beauties like Archeology and Ethnography Museum, Rakoczi Museum, Namık Kemal’s House, Ottoman Mosques, drinking fountains, Karacakılavuz knitwear, cherry festival, Vintage and Tepreş Festivals, natural beaches and Çamlıkoy(Kastro), is a city of history and tourism.

Some touristic destinations in Tekirdağ are Kumbağ, with its beaches and amusement centers, Şarköy, which is famous for its vineyards, olive gardens, beaches and special wines, and the antique district Marmara Ereğlisi, which is called Ephesus of Marmara. Due to the reason that there are enough facilities for food, amusement and accommodation, these places become more lively in the tourist season. Moreover, the city center offers a social environment with its cafes, cinemas, sport centers and university.
Lastly, Tekirdağ is a neighbor of Istanbul, which is one of the most tremendous metropolises of the world and enjoys many economic and cultural advantages of this.