Tekirdağ, 145 km (90 miles) west of Istanbul along the Sea of Marmara shore (map), is a very old city—about 4,000 years old—with little old to show for it.
Always an important port for shipment of the agricultural wealth of eastern Thrace, it is mostly modern and undistinguished, though a walk along Rákóczi Sokak is pleasant enough, with its old wooden houses, most dilapidated, some about to collapse, a few restored. The old, well-kept Ottoman-style Tekirdağ Vali Konağı(provincial governor’s building, 1927) is now the Archeology & Ethnology Museum.
Rákóczi Sokak ends in the west at the Rákóczi Museum, once the house of Prince Francis II Rákóczi (II. Rákóczi Ferenc, 1676-1735) the Hungarian nobleman who led a revolt (1703-1711) against Habsburg rule in Hungary.
After the revolt was defeated, Rákóczi eventually accepted the invitation of the Ottoman sultan, who was at war with the Habsburgs, to reside in his empire. Rákóczimoved to Rodosto (Tekirdağ), lived here with a large entourage, and died in 1735 at the age of 59.
Otherwise, have a look at the Rüstem Pasha Mosque(1546), a work of the great Minar Sinan up the hill from the main square (Cumhuriyet Meydanı).
Tekirdağ Hotels
The 3-star, 54-room Golden Yat Hotel is the best in town, well-run, comfortable and conveniently located. I stayed in Room 202 and enjoyed the breakfast on the 5th floor. The coffee was particularly good. More…
The alternative is the nearby smaller (29-room) Rodosto Hotel, surrounded by köftecis. More…
Tekirdağ Restaurants
Being on the Sea of Marmara, the people of Tekirdağ eat fish, but more than this they enjoy Tekirdağ köftesi, small savory cylinders of lamb grilled and served with tomato sauce. The one I like best is Meydan Köfte Çorba (Plaza Meatballs & Soup) on the east side of Cumhuriyet Meydanı, the main square. There are five other köftecis on Yalı Sokak on the way to the Golden Yat and Rodosto hotels. Try some!
Transport
Without your own vehicle, transport is by bus to and from the Tekirdağ Otogarı (bus terminal), a 10- to 15-minute walk east of Cumhuriyet Meydanı (main square). Bus departures are frequent to Istanbul, Edirne, Çanakkale, Gallipoli, and the Aegean coast to İzmir. Istanbul Seyahat is a particularly prominent company serving Tekirdağ.
—by Tom Brosnahan
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