KIRKLARELI TURKEY

Kırklareli

Kırklareli, where the firsturban life was seen in Thrace, is a city that draws attention with itsarchaeological findings. The Kırklareli Museum, where the findingsobtained from the excavations in the region are exhibited, especially theancient city of Kanlıgeçit and Aşağı Pınar Tumulus,sheds light on the history of the region with its rich inventory. Also, the 19^th centuryOttoman civil architecture examples of Kırklareli are worthseeing. 

Sokullu Mehmet Paşa Complex

It isspread over a wide area at the entrance of the Lüleburgaz District.The complex built for worship, trade and education between 1569-1570. shows thefeature of a complex with its mosque, arched shops, inn, bath and medrese.Built by Great Architect Sinan and his team, the complex expandsover an area of approximately 40,000 square meters outside the Byzantine walls,most of which were destroyed. On the west side of the complex, a palace wasbuilt by Sokullu Mehmet Pasha for the sultan of the period. 

Hızırbey Complex

It is inthe centre of Kırklareli. It consists of a mosque, a hamam and an arastabazaar. The Mosque was built by Köse Mihalzade Hızırbey in1383 and restored by Yusuf Pasha of Aydos in 1824. Hamam and the Arasta Bazaarwere built by Köse Mihalzade Hızırbey in 1383 and adjacent to each other.According to the inscription in the women´s section, hamam was restoredby Hacı Hüseyin Ağa between 1683 and 1704.

Vize Küçük Ayasofya (Gazi Süleyman Paşa Mosque)

It issituated between the inner and outer walls in the Kale neighbourhood of Vize District.It was built in the 6^th century during the Justinian period andwas organized as a mosque in the second half of the 14^th century.It has a rectangular, almost square plan. The capitals of its marble columnsare in Corinthian style. Mosaics, which are currently not present, like thecolumns, are similar in shape to those found in the excavation between HagiaSophia and St. Irene.

Vize Castle

Itsurrounds the north and west of the city in the Kale neighbourhood of VizeDistrict. It is estimated that it initially was constructed in the years 72-76BC. Later, in the Byzantine Period (527-565), it was revived by Justinian.Neatly cut bluish stones were used in the city walls at the northside of thecity, which leads to the assumption that this building was rebuilt in the LateByzantine Period.

Vize Ancient Theater

As aresult of the excavations in the District of Vize, the only Roman Periodtheatre known so far was unearthed. The theatre has an average capacity of4,000 spectators and the seating and walking steps are completely made ofmarble. A large female statue and 4 stage reliefs were also found in thetheatre area. These works are exhibited in the Kırklareli Museum.

Aya Nikola Monastery

TheMonastery in the Kıyıköy District is one of the best examples of Byzantineperiod (6-9^th century) rock-cut monasteries. The church is onthe ground floor, the holy spring below, and the sections for monks above.There are chambers in the form of levels carved into the rocks. On the northside, a ladder leads down to the holy spring. There is a second entrance to theeast of the church. 

Babaeski Mosque and Babaeski Bridge

It wasbuilt by Cedid Ali Paşa to Mimar Sinan in1555. It is still used as a mosque. Its single-balcony minaret was destroyedduring the Balkan War (1912), and was rebuilt later. The mosque is a smallmodel of the Selimiye Mosque in Edirne

The BabaeskiBridge is another must see place in the Babaeski District.It was built in 1633 during the reign of Ottoman Sultan Murat IV..

Sokullu Mehmet Paşa Bridge

Thebridge was built in the name of Grand Vizier Sokullu Mehmet Paşa between theyears 1569-1570. The face stones are hammer dressed, and the abutment on thebuttress side is robust. The upstream face of the abutment towards Lüleburgazhas the shape of a pyramid based on the half of a bihexagonal regular plan, andhas maintained its original structure. The other abutment was renovated byunprofessional constructors, who rebuilt it in the shape of a cone instead of apyramid. Yet, it is still in use.

Thebridge was built in order to cross waters along the caravan and postal roads.During the Ottoman Empire, there were hundreds of construction masters underthe command of one of the palace architects chosen by the chief architect ofthe army that went on a campaign. This team built the structures and bridges aspart of the strategy. Some of these bridges were hastily made of wood. However,the Sokullu Mehmet Pasha Bridge is one of the few bridges that have surviveduntil today and are located on the Harami Stream on the western expeditionroutes.

Alpullu (Sinanlı) Bridge

It wasbuilt in the mid-16th century during the Sokullu period. It is one of the mostmagnificent bridges made by architect Koca Sinan. It has a pointed arch. Sinanalso used the 76 cm long single piece face stones that constitute this largearch. Archstone of this width is not found on any other bridge. The length ofthese stones reaches 2.5 meters. The cornice profile is identical, and theexterior faces are joined by bond stone.

Pehlivanköy Akarca Bridge

It islocated on the Ergene River on the Uzunköprü-Edirne road. It was built toovercome the abundant water of the Ergene River, which was an obstacle duringthe expansion of the Ottoman Empire from Anatolia to the Balkans. The bridgewas built with a total of 7 arches around the large round arche in the centre.The bridge is still in use until today. According to the inscription, whose tophalf is broken and therefore has no date, the exact year of construction is notknown. However, considering the construction method, material and purpose ofuse, it is most probably the 16^th century.

Accordingto hearsay, the bridge was built by a master named Pavlu. However, despite allefforts, it was not possible to fasten the vault in the centre. It is alsorumoured, that the master, who built the bridge, suggested that it was onlypossible to save the central vault through sacrificing and burying a brave maninto the wall. So, as a last remedy, they decided to draw lots among the women,who brought the food to them, and to sacrifice the one, who would be drawn.Unfortunately, the woman, who drew the lot, had just given birth to a child andwas nursing her baby. Still, the woman was sacrificed the next day, and buriedinto the vault. Eventually the vault was completed. Therefore, it is said, thatevery Friday night a crying woman can be heard at the abutment, and that milkdrops from between two stones.

Cave Monasteries of Vize

These areByzantine period artifacts in the Vize Asmakayalar District. They were formedby stonemasons using a number of sequential natural caves. The presence of rocktombs with similar features in its immediate vicinity also stands out. Part ofthe monastery is being used as a barn.

Koyunbaba Church 

It islocated in the Koyunbaba village in the central district of Kırklareli, whereBulgarians and Turks used to live together during the Ottoman period. Thechurch is partially intact. The church has architectural features from thesecond half of the 19^th century. Its face stones are hammerdressed, and the corner stones are framed. Part of the roof has collapsed. Thechurch was open to Christian Bulgarians in the time when Bulgarians lived inKoyunbaba Village. The church was abandoned after the Bulgarians left thevillage due to the Population Exchange in 1924.

Kırklareli Kadı Mosque

It issituated in the centre of Kırklareli. The mosque, which was built in 1577(H.985), is still in use and has a square plan. It is called Kadi Mosquebecause of a court that was previously located nearby. The structure is alsocalled Emin Ali Çelebi Mosque. The walls are covered with dressed limestone onthree facades. The jambs and pediments of the lower row windows are made oflimestone and of very good workmanship. The embossed rosettes on thedischarging arches close to the tapering of arches are the only embellishmentfeatures of the mosque. The ceiling and roof are wooden, with four ridges, andcovered with Turkish style tiles. Its minaret is adjacent to the mosque and hasa polygonal log.

Fountains

Accordingto existing written sources, there are 15 traditional fountains in the citycenter of Kırklareli, but only 4 of them survived. Two of the fountains thathave survived have been moved to a different place.

The following are some of them:

Paşa Fountain

Thefountain was built in 1622. The single-sided wall fountain in a square planscheme was placed in the western corner of the courtyard wall of the PashaMosque in the Kocahıdır District, and was made of cut limestone. There is asingle tap on the slab placed in a low pointed arched niche. The keystone ofthe Arch is protruding outwards. The fountain is very plain, and onlyornamented on its eaves and on the slab.

Kayyumoğlu Fountain

Thefountain was built in 1772 in Karacaibrahim District. Built as a cornerfountain with a rectangular plan scheme, the water is provided from the tapplaced in a round-arch niche on the single side of the fountain. In this niche,the building inscription of the fountain was placed on a level near the top ofthe arch, hobnails on both sides of the arch and a repair inscription on thetop. On the front facade of the fountain, which is covered with a vault abovethe water tank, there is a fringe that forms a triangular pediment.

Prison Fountain

Thefountain located in the Karakaş District was built in the second half of the 19^th century.The prison building, after which the square fountain which two facades wasnamed, was built adjacent to the fountain in later years. Currently only oneside of the two-sided fountain whith round arched niches on both sides is inuse. Some of the arch keystones are worked in a rectangular shape protrudingoutwards. The corners of the fountain are shaped with rounded pilasters and adouble row of profiled fringe mouldings.

Hızırbey Hamam (Double Hamam)

Hamam islocated in the center of Kırklareli, on the Cumhuriyet (republic) Square. Itwas built in 1383 (H. 785) and repaired in 1683, and still functioning. Theouter face of the walls is covered with hammer dressed finished limestone. Thelanterns of the dome are worked of limestone and are remarkable. Hamam wasbuilt adjacently together with the arasta bazaar.

Lüleburgaz Sokullu Mehmet Paşa Hamam

It wasbuilt between 1569-1570, together with the Lüleburgaz Sokullu Mehmet PashaComplex, which was built by Mimar Koca Sinan on the orders of Sokullu MehmetPasha. It is currently being restored by the municipality to be used as a citymuseum. It is a double bath, consisting of separate sections for men and women,in the Turkish classical hamam type. The building is domed, and was builttogether with 11 shops around it in order to create income.