Igneada |
KIRKLARELI
The Yildiz (Istranca) Mountains divide
the province of Kirklareli. Lush mountainous landscape
dotted with quaint houses transports you to an idyllic
and trainquil frame of mind. The city of Kirklareli's
oldest mosque, the Hizirbey Mosque, was built in 1383.
The mosque complex includes a bazaar. Nearby stands a
hamam also built under Hizir Bey's patronage. The 14th
century Kirklar Memorial with its impressive 18
columns stands on Kirklar Hill honoring the site where
40 soldiers lost their lives when Ottomans conquered
this area under the command of Murat I. The
Archaeological Museum exhibits from local excavations.
Kirklareli's Black Sea Coast is
another place to enjoy beaches and good fish
restaurants. Igneada, 98 km east of Kirklareli, lies
squeezed between its sandy shores and the Yildiz
Mountains. Kiyikoy (Midye) is another holiday resort
town with good accommodation picturesque dwellings
from the Middle Ages; the town and its land walls date
from the Byzantine period. The Sokollu Mosque in
Luleburgaz, on the Edirne-Istanbul road is an
exquisite work of Sinan's that dates from 1570. The
neighboring town of Babaeski also boasts a Sinan
building in the Cedi Ali Pasa Mosque. Vize (Byzia), an
important Byzantine center, houses of Kucuk Ayasofia
Church and a castle, both dating from the Byzantine
period. If you are travelling north to Bulgaria,
linger for a few hours at the peaceful and green town
of Derekoy, the last stop before the border.
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