Tekirda? was first founded as _gByzanthe_h by Thracians. The actual location of first Byzanthe was what is now Barbaros, a village 9 km southwest of Tekirda?. It was then colonised by Greeks from the Aegean island of Samos. After the split of Roman Empire into two parts, Tekirda? remained in Byzantine hands and in 14th century captured by Ottoman Turks who gave the city the name _gRodoscuk_h. Its name underwent several changes and took its current form in 1927, in the early years of Turkish Republic.
Although it is not the case with many languages today, Tekirda? used to be called _g'''Rodosto'''_h in several European languages, after its Latin name used in Roman period, which itself derives from _gRhaidestos_h, the Greek name of the city, long after this official renaming took place. In fact, Tekirda? is still called _g'''Rodosto'''_h in Hungarian.
This is the city where Hungarian prince and independence movement leader '''Francis II Rakoczi''' (also known as ''II. Rakoczi Ferenc'' in Hungarian) lived for fifteen years (between 1720 and 1735) while in exile and died. Together with him '''Kelemen Mikes''', the writer of ''Letters from Turkey'' (''Torokorszagi levelek'' in Hungarian), which is one of the milestones of Hungarian literature, lived in Tekirda? until 1761, when he died.
Tekirda? since 1923 is a part of the Republic of Turkey. The city is the provincial capital of Tekirda? Province, which is named after the city.
The city is surrounded by the Sea of Marmara on one side, and by sunflower and grain fields on the other. On the hillsides to the southwest, viniculture is an important activity.
A _gnorthernized_h version of Mediterranean climate ? dry and hot summers (temperatures may rise to 40 C) and rainy, occasionally snowy, and cold winters (temperatures may drop to -8 C). However unlike the typical Mediterranean climate, it can rain heavily even during the hottest month (August), although these showers do not last more than 20 minutes at most. Though it_fs also possible that you can encounter months without a single drop of rain.
Autumns are mild, long and very nice. It is the best time to swim ?sea is warm, air is warm- since the sea is usually cruelly wavy during summer but is very docile during September.
The nearest international airport is '''Corlu Airport''' (about 50 km to Tekirda?) but it is reserved only for flights from the ex-Soviet countries, as some of the airway companies of these countries spell peril on the Ataturk International Airport with their aging plane stock and pilots insisting on speaking only in Russian. (Corlu Airport tel ''+90 282'' 682 40 36 - 10 lines)
So, for most flights '''Ataturk International Airport''' [http://www.ataturkairport.com/] ('''IST''') in Istanbul is the nearest international airport available (130 km to Tekirda?). Once in the Ataturk International Airport take the metro (called as _glight rail_h in the signage) and go to Otogar to board a bus heading for Tekirda?.
A railway line is under construction between Tekirda? and the main line at the moment. Until it is completed, the nearest station is in Muratl?, a town 24 km north of Tekirda?. There are minibuses running between Tekirda? and Muratl? (departure is near the station). . Daily Uzunkopru regional express (operating between Istanbul and Pythion in Greece, very near the border) and the daily Kap?kule regional express (operating between Istanbul and Kap?kule, the main border gate between Turkey and Bulgaria, via Edirne) have stops at Muratl? station. Daily Friendship/Dostluk/Philia Express (operating between Istanbul and Thessaloniki in Greece) also passes through Muratl? but doesn_ft stop there. Inter Rail tickets are valid in all these trains.
As the minibuses between Muratl? and Tekirda? cease to run on a relatively early time in the evenings, it is best to catch Uzunkopru regional express (departs Sirkeci station in Istanbul on 08:30 every morning and arrives at Muratl? station at about 12:30, expect a delay up to one hour), since Kap?kule regional express arrives Muratl? in a time that may be too late for public transport to Tekirda?. If you missed the last minibus, walk to the edge of town and try your luck in hitchhiking (or alternatively you may wait for a bus operating between Edirne and Tekirda? which passes through the main street of the town. You may have to wait for several hours until an Edirne-Tekirda? bus passes by).
These minibuses terminate a bit far away from the downtown in Tekirda?. Walk downhill along the first street you encounter and keep walking along several similar-looking streets, and in fifteen or so minutes you will be in the high street of downtown Tekirda?. Reaching the shoreline involves further ten or so minutes downhill walking on the same direction.
Total time to reach to Tekirda? from Istanbul_fs Sirkeci station is at least twice longer than bus travel but in the total it costs almost 50% less than bus travel.
Here are all details of aforementioned trip: Catch the morning train (at 08:30) from Istanbul_fs Sirkeci station. Although it_fs scheduled to arrive at Muratli at 11:48, there usually is a delay and the train arrives at around 12:00. Because stations are rarely announced in Turkish trains, make sure you don_ft miss Balabanli stop, as it is the last one before Muratli. After getting off at Muratli station, follow rail tracks (keep a safe distance between you and the tracks) or the parallel street towards the direction the train keeps going. After about a 10-minute walk, you_fll come across a square with a little clock tower in the middle (well, not a tower really, only a column with a clock on). Turn left at the square, and a few meters down the street, you_fll see the minibus bound for Tekirdag. You can easily recognize it with its large sign. Take the minibus on the right side of the street (the one with its rear facing you), as the one on the left side of the street is the one that has recently arrived ''from'' Tekirdag. The first minibus departs about 12:25. From there, it takes 30 minutes to get to Tekirdag_fs ''otogar''. Although it stops a few times in the outskirts of Tekirdag before the otogar, street grid of that part of the city can be confusing for non-locals, so it_fs best to get off at otogar (the last stop). From there you can take city minibuses which take you to downtown (''car??'') in about 10 minutes.
As of October, 2008, Istanbul-Muratli train ride costs YTL 7.75/person (or YTL 6.25 if you are eligible for a student concession ? make sure you have your student ID with you). Muratli-Tekirdag minibus ride costs YTL 3.50/person. The last minibus for Tekirda? departs at 9 pm (21:00) in Muratli, so it is also a possibility to take the afternoon train from Istanbul.
'''From Istanbul''' ? first take D100 highway or O3/E80 motorway (toll-way), if you are on motorway leave it in K?nal? exit (there are Tekirda? signs there), and at K?nal? junction follow Tekirda? signs (although the road numbers are not shown on the signs there, the road that you will enter into is D110/E84). The pavement quality between K?nal? and Tekirda? deterioted within the last few years, but long sections of it are 4-lane (two for one direction and two for the other). Total distance is 132 km and can be covered within one and a half to two hours.
'''From Bulgaria''' ? There are two ways:
If you enter Turkey at '''Kapitan Andreevo/Kap?kule border gate''' (NW of Edirne), first by-pass Edirne via the ring road (E80, toll-free, signs are green), then either take D100 highway by quitting the E80 after you left Edirne behind (the second exit after you entered the ring-road) or continue onto O3/E80 motorway (toll-way), if you are on the motorway leave it in Luleburgaz exit (there are Luleburgaz and Muratl? signs there), you_fll reach D100 here, take the direction towards Corlu/Istanbul. After you drove about ten minutes away from Luleburgaz, you_fll come to a junction, signs will say Muratl?/Tekirda?. Turn that way (right). You are now on D565 and will reach Tekirda? in about 40 minutes. Total distance from Kap?kule to Tekirda? is about 160 km.
If you enter Turkey at '''Tirnovo/Derekoy border gate''' (north of K?rklareli), take the D555/E87 (that_fs the only way already), drive on it until you are in Babaeski (do not enter the motorway shown by green _gIstanbul_h signs before you reach Babaeski). In Babaeski you_fll come across a roundabout, turn around it to the Luleburgaz/Istanbul direction (blue signs). Now you are on D100. Keep on it until you are about ten minutes away from Luleburgaz, you_fll come to a junction, signs will say Muratl?/Tekirda?. Turn that way (right). You are now on D565 and will reach Tekirda? in about 40 minutes. Total distance from Derekoy to Tekirda? is about 155 km.
'''From Greece''' ? Enter Turkey at '''Peptos/?psala border gate''', take the only road available there (D110/E90, after Ke?an D110/E84). By never turning right or left you will be in Tekirda? within one to one and a half hours. Total distance is about 110 km.
There are many bus companies operating between Istanbul_fs Otogar (main bus station) and Tekirda?. Just look around in the Otogar and soon you_fll see word Tekirda? on one of the windows. However, some companies operating further than Tekirda? also add Tekirda? on their windows and their service may be inferior. The most popular company is arguably '''?stanbul Seyahat''' (tel 444 59 59, dialed without a prefix anywhere in Turkey except cellphones from which you should dial +90 212 444 59 59), but there are many more others. It is possible to find a bus to Tekirda? about every 15 minutes, even every 5 minutes in summertime. Direct bus travel with the Asian side of Istanbul is less frequent, only once every few hours. From Istanbul_fs Otogar to Tekirda? doesn_ft normally take more than two hours, but, especially in summertime, because many people heading for their _gholiday homes_h on the way to Tekirda? use these services, stops can be tiresome, and can lengthen the travel time up to four hours when complemented with congested traffic. There is normally no scheduled stop on the Istanbul-Tekirda? bus lines for a break.
Ticket fares from/to Istanbul are around 12 YTL as of December 2007 (no student discounts avalaible; 16 YTL from the Asian side of Istanbul), but between May and September many companies rise their fares with the increasing number of passengers. Despite this, because of rivalry, some companies lower their prices wildly to around 5 YTL, but these promotions are only occasional.
It may be wise to book your seat a week beforehand during the peak season (July-August) if you are going to either
travel from Istanbul to Tekirda? on Fridays
and/or
travel from Tekirda? to Istanbul on Sundays
Some companies deny to book a seat during peak season, instead, insist on selling the ticket right away.
Buses coming from Istanbul first enter Tekirda?_fs otogar, which is very tiny compared with Istanbul_fs, and some proceed to outlying hoods of the city in the west, and some finish their journey right there. In summertime almost all buses end their trip in Kumba? via Tekirda?_fs otogar and the avenue at the shoreline. To go to the downtown area (''Car??'', pronounced _gchar-sha_h), you should either get off the bus at the shore and walk uphill for about 10 minutes or take one of the public busses (their stop is right next to the otogar).
Buses heading for Istanbul from Canakkale and Gallipoli passes through Tekirda?, so it is possible to board an Istanbul bus from these places and get off in Tekirda?. When buying the ticket or paying the fare inside the bus tell them that you_fll get off in Tekirda?, not Istanbul, a journey which deserves a slightly lower fare than all the way to Istanbul (about 3-4 YTL less than full price for Istanbul).
One easy and cheap way reaching from Greece to Tekirda? by bus might be somehow to reach Ke?an first, which is about 25 km away from Greco-Turkish border, then take a bus there coming from Canakkale, Gallipoli or already has its terminus in Ke?an and heading for Istanbul.
There are regular daily voyages from little harbour in the city centre to Marmara Island, Av?a Island, Erdek, and Bandirma across the Sea of Marmara (at least in summer months). There is a ferry line to Gemlik on the SE coast of the Sea of Marmara from the bigger and newer harbour (2 km west of city centre). There is also a line to Karabiga on the SW coast of the Sea of Marmara, near Canakkale from the harbour of Barbaros, a village 9 km SW of Tekirda?.
There are also ro-ro (ferry) services direct to Trieste in NE of Italy (near the Slovenian border) twice a week, but passengers without vehicles may not be accepted into these ferries. (Akport harbour tel ''+90 282'' 261 08 00 - 4 lines)
There is also a marina in the city. As of December 2007, its construction seems to be completed but it seems it is not accepting any boats or yachts yet.
There is a customs office in the bigger harbour (2 km west of city centre). You can have your passport stamped if you are arriving by your own boat and haven_ft disembarked in Turkey yet. Be aware that it_fs illegal to land on Turkish soil before your passport has an entrance stamp ? which can be obtained from most visited marinas and major harbours, such as this one.
Along the highway (E84 is the European road number while D110 is the national one) which traverses all along the city and eventually reaches the Greco-Turkish border one side and Istanbul (and onto Asia) on the other, there is an abundance (several of them even within 30 minutes) of trucks bearing Macedonian, Bulgarian, and Iranian plate numbers, day and night. There are also many cars with Greek plate numbers. So it may be easy to reach to/from Tekirda? from/to these countries by hitchhiking.
Tekirda?, especially the downtown area in where almost all the sights are, is fairly convenient to explore on foot. Nevertheless, city has a public transport system based on minibuses, some are public and run by the city council while others are private. In any case, you don_ft have to have a ticket beforehand ?there are no tickets even if you wish to have- and pay cash to the driver inside the vehicle.
Public minibuses (recognizable by their navy blue colour) have route numbers on the front, but it makes no sense to memorize them since they are running between the otogar and different outlying residential hoods -which are of no interest to an ordinary traveller- usually via the city center. The private minibuses don_ft have route numbers, instead they are all painted different colours according to their routes. The two most important routes for an ordinary traveller would be the Barbaros-Kumba? line, which is painted in light blue, and De?irmenalt? line which is painted in slightly greenish-yellow (There are actually three different lines using the same slightly greenish-yellow colour and they line up together in pairs at the main stop in the city center. They all do run to the same direction but their terminii are different points. Either carefully read the signs on the front window of the vehicle about where it goes to, or tell the driver the place name you want to go, he will either make an approval gesture (shaking his head downwards) or point to another minibus, which means _gthat one goes there_h).
All minibuses run on a fixed route and schedule, mostly in 10-minute intervals, however the interval frequency drop late at night to once every 30 minutes. The last minibus for most lines is at 00:00 (03:00 for Kumba? line during July and August)
Main stop for private minibuses is across the street from Rustem Pa?a Mosque. They don_ft have any standard stops other than this, they stop wherever a passenger raises his hand to show he/she is going to board or wherever a passenger inside shouts _ginecek var_h (ee-neh-djek vahr) to get off. Public minibuses only stop at standard stops (none of them has an official name) and anyone who is willing to get off next stop should push one of the buttons around the back door to make sure the minibus will stop and the door will open at the next stop.
Fees are standard (1.00 YTL within the city borders, 1.75 YTL for Kumba?) and no student discounts available.
'''Taxis''' are also available from many stands around the city. Please note that official rate for taxis is twice more expensive than the rate of those in Istanbul.
For the villages and towns surrounding the city (for example ?arkoy), you can find busses at the otogar, or minibuses departing from shoreline or some other designated stops around the city.
'''Rakoczi_fs House''' (''Rakoczi Muzesi''/Rakoczi Museum) Barbaros Street (on the first hill overlooking the sea) tel ''+90 282'' 263 85 77 (''Open every day except Monday, between 9-12 and 13 (1 pm)-17 (5 pm)'') ? An 18th century Tekirda? house in which Francis II Rakoczi lived while in exile. The house was restored in early 1980s almost totally the same as how it looked like when a Hungarian painter went to Tekirda? and drew illustrations of the interior of house in 1906. The adjoining streets also housed a large Hungarian colony formed by people following Francis II Rakoczi, but unfortunately no evidence of their existence left today. While you are around, don_ft forget to check out the wooden _e'''Szekely Gate'''_f, carved in the traditional style of the Szekely, the tribe of Tekirda?_fs Hungarian refugees. It was erected in front of Rakoczi_fs house in 2005.
'''Archaeology and Ethnography Museum''' (''Arkeoloji ve Etnografya Muzesi'')? Ertu?rul Mah. Barbaros Caddesi 1 (''on the junction of Barbaros Street and the lower end of Huseyin Pehlivan St'') tel ''+90 282'' 261 20 82 (''open everyday except Monday, 09:00 am to 05:00 pm (17:00)''). The exhibition of this museum, which is situated in a building essentially built as the governor mansion in 1928, is mainly composed of the findings of the excavations of Perinthos and numerous tumulii in the region. The oldest objects in exhibition date back to 4500 BCE. Among the display is the mummified (and reconstructed) body of Thracian king Kersepleptes. His body complete with crown, clothes, and other remainings was excavated from a tumulus located about 12 km to Tekirda?. Upstairs is dedicated to ethnography and there is a _gtraditional Tekirda? room_h. The garden of the museum contains many sarcophagi from ancient times and many gravestones left by the city_fs once numerous Greek, Armenian and Latin populations.
'''Rustem Pa?a Mosque''' (''Rustem Pa?a Camii'') ? Although little in terms of grandeur compared with his some other works, the mosque is a work of Sinan, probably the biggest architect of Ottoman Empire. It was built in 1553. Next to the mosque is ''bedesten'' ?or bazaar. Actually, a replica of a bazaar, which was constructed in 1980s. In its court, there is a nice open-air cafe.
'''Ertu?rul Neighbourhood Bazaar''' ? This historical building is also called ''bedesten'' but the renovation works within hundreds of years has taken too much from its original appearance. It now houses herbalist shops. Near the Eski Mosque on the high street.
'''Traditional Houses of Tekirda?''' ? There are many 18th and 19th century houses in the city spared from the fury of the bulldozer and concrete-mania. Most of them are wooden, and some are built of stone or brick like traditional Mediterranean houses. However, even most of the left ones are in a near, or almost total ruin state. If you_fd like to take a glance at how Tekirda? might look like, say a hundred years ago, you may have a walk in the streets of where these houses are grouped together. There are two main parts of the city they stand: On the hill overlooking the sea between otogar and the downtown; and the streets also overlooking the sea between Archeology and Ethnography Museum and Rakoczi Museum.
'''Nam?k Kemal_fs House''' (''Nam?k Kemal Evi'') Nam?k Kemal St 7 (behind the presidency of Nam?k Kemal University, the old building across the street from City Council - ''Belediye'') tel ''+90 282'' 262 91 28 - A replica of the house where Nam?k Kemal, a native of the city and considered one of the national poets of Turkey, was born. Houses _gLocal History Association_h inside.
'''Rakoczi Fountain''' (''Rakoczi Ce?mesi'') Mumcu Ce?me Rd ? Been built by Rakoczi, this fountain contains Latin and Ottoman Turkish inscriptions and situated between two old plane trees (''platanus spp'') which might be planted by Francis II Rakoczi himself. Once in the middle of the vineyards surrounding the city, it is in the industrial zone of the city today, near the back gate of wine and raki factory.
'''Bar?? ve Ozgurluk Park?''' ? A quite large parkland near the sea (near the otogar and the marina). The park contains statues of Nam?k Kemal and Francis II Rakoczi. There is also a statue of Kelemen Mikes, carved in wood in Hungarian style. There are plane trees (''platanus spp'') planted by Hungarian president and other notables of the time when the park was opened (1990s).
'''Trekking''' ? Mt Ganos to the southwest of the city offers beautiful trails through its forests and shrublands.
'''Paragliding''' ? Although not widely known, paragliding is also possible on the foothills of Mt Ganos. There is a take-off area near Yenikoy village (about 10 km away from Kumba?, about 30 km to Tekirda?) and a landing strip at about halfway between the villages of Yenikoy and Ucmakdere. To go there, first, enter the Barbaros-Kumba? road from Tekirda? and after about 1 km you left Barbaros behind, follow Naip signs in the fork (to right, there is also a _gparagliding area_h sign there but only in Turkish), when you left Naip behind follow the left sides twice in the forks and you_fll soon arrive at Yenikoy. Around there you_fll see signs for both take-off and landing areas. Bring your equipments and food and drink with you as you_fre highly unlikely to find any once in Yenikoy.
'''Windsurfing''' ? Tekirda?_fs sea is usually very wavy and windy during summer, so it is a perfect place to windsurf.
'''Yelken Kulup''' (on the west end of the shore promenade, tel ''+90 282'' 261 44 66) offers windsurf classes in the summer months.
'''[http://www.nku.edu.tr/index.php?lang=en Nam?k Kemal University]''', which has been founded in 2005 with its presidency in Tekirda? has a faculty of agriculture near De?irmenalt? which accepts exchange doctorate students from around Europe but not offering much else at the moment.
'''ATM'''s are mostly located along Hukumet St, the high street of the downtown area. They are either on their own, or located outside the banks (on the exterior walls). Keep in mind that there is no ATM in Kumba?! (many shops accept credit cards though)
'''Money exchange''' is possible both at banks, exchange offices, and jewellery shops located mainly in high street (Hukumet St). Exchange offices are better, as they are not as crowded as the banks are, and also you can see the rates on the electronic boards they usually attach on their windows. Many shops accept only Turkish Lira. In other places, accepted foreign currency is generally limited to Euro or American Dollars, and their rates are usually lower than exchange offices.
Karacak?lavuz (pronounced _gka-ra-DJA-ka-lah-vooz_h), a village about 20 km NW of Tekirda?, produces handmade rugs, carpets, and handwoven bags. The village was settled by ''Yoruk'', or nomadic Turkic people from Anatolia after the Ottoman conquest of Thrace (14th century). The villagers still weave the symbols they retained from nomadic times on their handicraft. '''Karacak?lavuz handicrafts''' can be seen and bought at Provincial Directorate for Culture, which is located in the historical, brown-coloured brick building at about right the midway between Museum of Archaeology and Ethnography and Rakoczi Museum. (Provincial Directorate for Culture (''?l Kultur Mudurlu?u'') ? Barbaros St. 5, tel ''+90 282'' 262 60 12 or 261 88 28 fax +90 282 ''261 43 46'')
In the industrial areas surrounding nearby Corlu (about 40 km) are '''outlet stores and factory sale shops''', many of which offer tax-free/VAT refundable shopping (for foreigners) for textile fabrics. They are cheaper than elsewhere not only because there is no tax added, but also because the sellers are also the producers. Don_ft forget to obtain the necessary papers you_fll need to have to get the money you paid for the tax back when you_fre leaving Turkey.
You may also buy '''Tekirda? raki or wine''' to bring back home. Tekirda? raki can be bought at the sale shop of the raki factory (about 2 km west of city centre, on the highway to Ke?an/Canakkale) or any alcohol shop. Wine can also be bought from any alcohol shop too but it is better to buy it from factories scattered around ?arkoy-Murefte area.
''Tekirda? koftesi'' (meat-ball) is a famous local delicacy. There are even some people visiting the city from Istanbul at the weekends just to eat ''Tekirda? koftesi''. It is made of fatless meat and some spices added in (don_ft worry if you are not used to spices, the ''Tekirda? koftesi'' is not heavily-spiced unlike the Mid-Eastern fashion). It_fs given a cylindirical shape and grilled.
As Tekirda? is a coastal city, it is possible round-the-year to taste the fresh fish. Fish restaurants are mainly scattered around the shoreline promenade. For seafood, you may try Yelken Kulup (on the west end of shoreline promenade, tel ''+90 282'' 261 44 66) or ?lhan Restaurant (next to Yelken Kulup, tel ''+90 282'' 261 15 07). Some fish restaurants doesn_ft serve alcoholic beverages and state their position by locating big ''alkolsuz'' (_galcohol-free_h in Turkish) signs above their entrances. It is almost certain that the fish restaurants without such a sign serves alcoholic drinks.
It is also easy to find restaurants offering _gnational_h fast-food like kebab and doner. However, food in the cheap doner restauraunts may be low-quality, but if you are more interested in getting your stomach full cheaply (some doner and tomato slices inside a half-bread sandwich costs 0.50-1.00 YTL) rather than your appetite, they may be worth a visit.
There are also a few American-style fast food restaurans offering pizzas and hamburgers too. Don_ft expect to find Mc or Burger King (at least in downtown). The ones you will see are local brands.
Although traditional food in this part of Turkey is mainly dependent on vegetables with little or no meat added, they can be only found inside the households. If you are a vegetarian, you may try pizzerias (all of them has vegetarian pizzas on their menues).
It seems local desserts are of Balkan (Southeastern Europe) origin, as many towns and cities in western Turkey which are predominantly inhabited by descedants of people who immigrated from Balkans to Turkey during 19th and early 20th century take pride in being their _greal_h origin. Two most noteworthy are ''ho?merim'', also called ''peynir helvas?'', which is made of cereals with some cheese dissolved and mixed in it (best to eat with some ice-cream added on top) and ''Hayrabolu tatl?s?'' (also called ''Kemalpa?a tatl?s?'' in some other places) which is soft, cookie-like dough rested in syrup.
The national Turkish desserts are readily available in any dessert shop.
There are some hotels around the shoreline promenade and around the high street in downtown. The ones around the shoreline promenade should be better, they at least have a spectacle of the sea. Also downtown hotels may not guarantee a good sleep early in the morning as many buses and cars carrying the locals to their workplaces will be passing nearby.
There are also many hotels, apart hotels (flats for rent for short periods, look for the word ''kiral?k'', which means _gfor rent_h in Turkish, on the windows or on the signs along the main street of the town) and pensions in '''Kumba?'''. All of them are in walking distance to the beaches, a few of them have swimming-pools as well. Booking for hotels and pensions in Kumba? is only needed for weekends during peak season (July-August). Keep in mind that many of them are closed between October and April.
Villa or flat rental is also possible in '''De?irmenalt?''', a hood 8 km east of city center, situated between the shoreline and the highway to Istanbul.
'''Tourism information office''' (''Turizm Dan??ma'') ? Shoreline promenade tel ''+90 282'' 261 16 98 fax +90 282 ''261 20 83''
'''Honourary Consulate of Hungary''' (''Macaristan Fahri Konsoloslu?u'') ? Orduevi St. Gunayd?n Apt. 7, tel ''+90 282'' 261 15 49 or 263 03 13
'''Honourary Consulate of Bulgaria''' (''Bulgaristan Fahri Konsoloslu?u'') ? Cumhuriyet Sq. (entrance of the downtown area from shoreline) Oral Apt.
For the website of the city council, click http://www.tekirdag.bel.tr (available in Turkish and English)
The city_fs sole post office is on high street of downtown (Hukumet Caddesi). It is open between 08:30 am and 08:30 pm. There is also a small post office in Kumba?. It is open until 04:30 pm. In both offices, it is possible to send letters and cards abroad (it might coast a little more in Kumba? office and reaches its destination at least one day later than Tekirda? office).
Telephone booths are pretty much everywhere in downtown area and on the shoreline. Telephone cards are available at the post office, newspaper/tobacco kiosks and Turk Telekom shops, in which it is also possible to make a call and then pay cash.
The area code of Tekirda? (including its environs) is '''282'''. When calling Tekirda? from out of Turkey dial '''+90 282'''.
You can find many internet cafes in the streets leading to/parallel with the high street in the downtown area. If you cannot find, ask a local youngster. All of these internet cafes have speedy DSL connections (some even rival with the internet cafe at the next door by sticking ads which declare their DSL speed on their windows). An hourly connection at these cafes costs about 1.50 YTL. Most also serve some soft drinks and snacks too.
Avoid Aydo?du Quarter, which is predominantly inhabited by Roma people and recent immigrants from eastern parts of Turkey, especially at night. (It is already out-of-the-beaten-path anyway, not near the shoreline, not in the downtown, don_ft get yourself worried unnecessarily, no way you can mistakenly break into the Quarter while sightseeing). All in all, Tekirda? is generally a very safe city.
National emergency number to call the police is '''155'''.
Don_ft swim in the areas near the city center. Unfortunately there are both raw sewage discharged into the sea from several points and occasional chemical/oil pollution caused by commercial harbour activities (It is safe to swim in areas at least approximately 5 km away from the city center towards either direction).
In Tekirda?, there is a somewhat serious air pollution/smog problem, particularly in the central parts of the city, between November and March, and especially during nights. This is mainly caused by coal combustion for heating. So asthma sufferers should take extra precaution during this time of the year, stay indoors or somewhere out of city centre at nights or avoid visiting at all in winter if possible. However, with the extension of the city-wide natural gas pipeline network, this problem will probably be solved substantially within one or two years, by winter 2009-2010.
National emergency number to call an ambulance is '''112'''.
As a city which is slightly off-the-beaten path, you will encounter less English-speaking people. This is not to mean that nobody in Tekirda? can speak English, but you may have to look for a little more than the usual in more tourism-oriented towns of western and southern Turkey. And you can also take it on the bright side: you will ''never'' come across with a tout in Tekirda?.
All parts of Tekirda? and surrounding region is well within the coverage area of all three cell phone line providers of Turkey. The only area without coverage is some parts of Mt Ganos with their disadvantaged geography (being far away from villages, and there are lots of deep valleys in the area which hinder cell phone waves).
: You can reach this area either by first taking the highway to Ke?an (D110/E84) and then turning left (to D555) in the junction you_fll come across about 40 km away from Tekirda? (there is a ?arkoy sign in that junction) or via the unpaved forest road winding around the foothills of Mt Ganos, starting from the hill behind Kumba?.
: Some travel companies in Istanbul offer winetasting trips in autumn or trekking tours to the aforementioned summit in anytime of the year in this region.