Photo: Yabancı (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Source Cedid Ali Paşa Mosque
The ornately decorated, domed mosque in Hacı Hasan Neighbourhood in Babaeski was commissioned by Cedid Ali Paşa.
View on map4 places to visit in the Babaeski district of Kırklareli: Cedid Ali Paşa Mosque, Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge and Babaeski Tumuli. Plan your trip to Babaeski with local food, practical tips and transport information.
Introduction
Babaeski is a district of Kırklareli. It lies in the Thracian part of the Marmara Region, with Merkez district to the north, Lüleburgaz to the east, Pehlivanköy to the southwest, Tekirdağ to the south and Edirne to the west. The district lies on the Ergene Plain, with almost no high areas or mountains.
Etymology
The name Babaeski comes from the Baba Kavağı (Baba poplar) tree found in the area. In the Ottoman period, arrows and bows made from poplar trees around Babaeski were very famous. Babaeski and the Baba poplar are mentioned in the Saltukname.
History
In the mid-5th century BC, the state founded here by the Odrysian branch of the Thracians was destroyed by Philip II of Macedon. In 46 BC, the Roman Emperor Claudius ruled over the Kırklareli region together with Thrace. The great harbour wall built by Byzantine Emperor Anastasius I, stretching from the Marmara to the Black Sea, passed near Babaeski. Justinian I repaired these walls, but as they were constantly attacked, they have not survived to the present day.
Ottoman Period
The Babaeski region was annexed to Ottoman territory in 1359 by Balaban Bey, in the reign of Sultan Murad I. In the Byzantine period the place was called Bulgaraphygon. After Fatih Sultan Mehmet’s visit to the area, it was renamed Babaeski after Ahi Baba, who reorganised the region. Evliya Çelebi recorded in his Seyahatname that the works in Babaeski, including the Ali Paşa Mosque, a madrasa, imaret, inn and shops, were built by Semiz Ali Paşa.
Republican Period
Babaeski is the first municipality of Kırklareli province, and became a municipality in 1854. It was occupied by the Bulgarians in 1912 and by the Greeks in 1919. It was liberated from occupation on 9 November 1922, during the Turkish War of Independence.
History and Culture
Babaeski was annexed to Ottoman territory in 1359 by Murad I. In 1879, when Kırklareli became a sanjak, Babaeski was attached to Kırklareli. The municipality of Babaeski was established in 1854. In the Byzantine period, Babaeski was a fortification and bishopric centre in the Thrace region.
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