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Thrace and Marmara
The Roman province of
Trakya (Thrace) is separated from the rest of Turkey
by the Bosphorus, the Sea of Marmara and the
Dardenelle Straits. Edirne, lying close to the borders
of Greece and Bulgaria, is best known for the
masterpieces of local architectMimar Sinan, with
wonderful examples from the Ottoman Empire. The area
is also famous for the lush rolling fields, filled
with vineyards and sunflowers grown for their seeds
and oil. The cities in this region are Balikesir,
Bilecik, Bursa, Canakkale,Edirne, Istanbul, Kirklareli,
Kocaeli, Sakarya,Tekirdag and Yalova.
The Marmara region
has a turbulent past. In 481 BC the second Persian
War, the Persian King Xerxes made a bridge of boats
over the Dardanelle Straits between Abydos and Sestos.
In the same location is the infamous love affair of
Leander and Hera, whowere buried in the waters of the
strait. And it was here that Mustafa Kemal won the
first big victory against enemy forces in World War I,
and the war graves and battlegrounds of Gelibolu are
visited by thousands of tourists every year.
The lively city of
Izmit with its fruit orchards and vegetable gardens is
now an industrial centre, and nearby Hereke is famous
for its carpets. To the south is Iznik, renowned
during Ottoman times for its glazed tiles which
adorned the mosques andtombs, and its great Byzantine
city walls. Bursa, the land of silk, was the first
capital city of the Ottoman Empire and birthplace of
modern Turkish culture. The mosques, like Yesil Came
and Ulu Cami, are some of the most important and
beautiful inthe country. The country's first ski
resort was built on the mountain of Uludag, lying to
the south of the city.
Tekirdag, with
beautiful examples of Ottoman architecture and broad
beaches, is known for its vineyards and wine
festivals. To the north is Gonen with its famous
thermal springs, and the commercial port of Bandirma
which is the biggest in theMarmara sea after Istanbul.
Near the city and by Lake Manyas is Kuscenneti (Bird
Heaven) National Park with 239 species of birds, many
of which migrate from Europe and Asia during the
summer, and fly south before the winter.
One the shores of the
Marmara Sea are a whole host of beautiful beaches and
holiday resorts, including Cinarcik, Armutlu, Gemlik,
Mudanya, Erdek, the Marmara and Avsa Islands,
Denizkent, Sarkoy and Silivri. To the west is Yalova,
a site famous for itsthermal springs |