Getting to Know Tekirdağ
Tekirdağ lies in the Thrace part of Türkiye, on the northern shore of the Sea of Marmara, between Istanbul and Edirne. In the Byzantine period the city was known as Bisanthe and then Rodosto; the Turks first called it Rodosçuk and, from the 18th century, Tekfur Dağı. Bisanthe is believed to have been founded around 550 BC by Samian colonists; nearby Heraion Teikhos and Bisanthe, Thracian tumuli and ancient settlements show the early history of the region.
The region was conquered by Murad I in 1357 and became part of Ottoman territory. Tekirdağ also holds special meaning for Hungarians as the city where the Hungarian independence leader Francis II Rákóczi lived in exile between 1720 and 1735; the Rakoçi Museum opened in this house in 1982, and the house was donated to the Hungarian state. In Tekirdağ, the birthplace of the poet and thinker Namık Kemal, the Namık Kemal House Museum was opened in his name on 21 December 1993.
Tekirdağ gained metropolitan status under a law passed in 2012 and officially became a metropolitan municipality after the local elections of 30 March 2014. Mount Işıklar (Ganos) in the west of the province, at 945 metres, is its highest point (35 km long and 10 km wide) and takes its name from the ancient settlement of Ganos. The vineyards on the mountain’s slopes facing the Marmara form the Şarköy–Mürefte wine region.
When to Go
Tekirdağ has a Marmara climate: summers are hot, winters cold and rainy. Averages for 1940–2025 from the Turkish State Meteorological Service:
| Month |
Avg. high |
Avg. low |
Rainfall |
Rainy days |
| January |
8.2 °C |
2.1 °C |
68 mm |
12 |
| February |
9.0 °C |
2.5 °C |
54 mm |
10 |
| March |
11.1 °C |
4.2 °C |
53 mm |
11 |
| April |
15.8 °C |
8.1 °C |
42 mm |
9 |
| May |
20.6 °C |
12.7 °C |
37 mm |
8 |
| June |
25.4 °C |
16.8 °C |
37 mm |
7 |
| July |
28.1 °C |
19.1 °C |
24 mm |
3 |
| August |
28.3 °C |
19.5 °C |
15 mm |
2 |
| September |
24.6 °C |
16.2 °C |
32 mm |
5 |
| October |
19.6 °C |
12.1 °C |
60 mm |
8 |
| November |
14.9 °C |
8.2 °C |
73 mm |
9 |
| December |
10.5 °C |
4.4 °C |
79 mm |
12 |
May to October is the best period. September to October is preferred for the grape harvest and wine tasting, and July to August for the sea.
How to Get to Tekirdağ
By air: Tekirdağ Çorlu Atatürk Airport came into service in 1998; it is 15 km from the centre of the Çorlu district and, with its 3,000-metre runway, is the only airport in Eastern Thrace with passenger services after Istanbul Airport. Istanbul Airport and Sabiha Gökçen are also options.
By road: There are motorway connections for Tekirdağ–Istanbul and Tekirdağ–Edirne; Çorlu is 38 km from the city. Marmaraereğlisi is 35 km from Silivri and 38 km from Tekirdağ.
Tekirdağ Area by Area
- Süleymanpaşa (centre): Rakoçi Museum, Namık Kemal House Museum, the Archaeology and Ethnography Museum, the seaside promenade and köfte restaurants.
- Şarköy and Mürefte: the vineyards of Mount Işıklar and wine houses; Mürefte is 90 km from the provincial centre.
- Çorlu: the second-largest settlement in Eastern Thrace after Istanbul; Çorlu kuzu ciğer sarma.
- Malkara: the largest district in the province (1,243 km²), and Malkara eski kaşar cheese.
- Hayrabolu: Hayrabolu dessert and Çerkezmüsellim köftesi.
- Marmaraereğlisi: a 32 km stretch of coast and beaches.
Suggested Itineraries
Day 1 – Tekirdağ centre: The Rakoçi and Namık Kemal museums and a stroll along the seafront; Tekirdağ köftesi for lunch and dinner, with peynir helvası for dessert.
Day 2 – Şarköy and Mürefte: The vineyards of Mount Işıklar and wine tasting, and the Mürefte seafront.
Day 3 – Çorlu and Malkara: Kuzu ciğer sarma in Çorlu, and aged kaşar in Malkara.
Tekirdağ Cuisine
Tekirdağ cuisine is known for its köfte, its rakı and its desserts. The delicacies with a registered geographical indication are Tekirdağ köftesi, Tekirdağ peynir helvası, Tekirdağ ramazan çöreği (Ramadan bun), Çorlu kuzu ciğer sarma, Hayrabolu Çerkezmüsellim köftesi, Hayrabolu tatlısı, Küçükyoncalı keşkeği (Küçükyoncalı keşkek) and Velimeşe bozası. The products are Malkara eski kaşar peyniri, Seymen kavunu, Tekirdağ soğanı, Tekirdağ bulama (Tekirdağ bulama syrup) and Tekirdağ Yapıncak salamura asma yaprağı (Yapıncak brined vine leaves).
Handicrafts
Karacakılavuz dimi dokuması (Karacakılavuz twill weave) has a registered geographical indication.
Practical Tips
- Tekirdağ köftesi is shaped thinly, one by one; try it with piyaz (bean salad) on the side and peynir helvası for dessert.
- Check the visiting hours of the Rakoçi and Namık Kemal museums in advance.
- When visiting wine houses, arrange a driver for transport.
