Sarköy
Encyclopedia
Şarköy is a seaside town and district of Tekirdağ Province
situated on the north coast of the Marmara Sea in Thrace
in Turkey
. Şarköy is 86 km west of the town of Tekirdağ
, and can be reached either by the inland road or by the winding coast road, which goes on to Gallipoli
. The mayor is Süleyman Altınok (CHP
).
Greek colonies were founded from 750 to 550 BC with the agreement of the local Thracians. The Greek villages of Heraklea (Eriklice), Hora (Hoşköy), Ganos (Ganoz), Bizatnhe-Panion (Barbaros) later fell in to the hands of the Romans. Then under Byzantine rule Thrace was subject wave on wave of invaders coming via the Balkans; Huns, Slavs, Bulgars, the Crusades. By this time the area was known as Tristatis, Peristesi and also Agora.
Following the Ottoman takeover in 1362 the name became 'Şehirköy' ('city-village') and later mutated to 'Şarköy'. The area was first conquered in 1356 by Süleyman Paşa, son of Orhangazi, the son of the founder of the Ottoman dynasty. It changed a few times before coming permanently under Ottoman control in 1362.
In the Ottoman period this coastline thrived growing produce to ship to Istanbul, wine-making, and also making bricks and roof-tiles which were exported further afield.
A major fault-lines runs just off this coast and in 1912 Şarköy and nearby Mürefte were badly damaged by an earthquake, bringing down practically every house (850 in Mürefte, 1085 in Şarköy). She was a township (bucak) in Gelibolu sanjak and belonged to Kaptanpaşa vilayet at first. Gelibolu sanjak bounded to Edirne
vilayet in 1864.
The coast was occupied briefly by Bulgarian forces on December 22, 1912 during the Balkan Wars
, and again in 1920-22 by Greek forces during the Turkish War of Independence
, this time with the support of the local Greek and Armenian people. She was a district in Gelibolu
province between 1922-1926 before bounding to Tekirdağ province.
Şarköy has the longest beach in Turkey, the 12th longest in the world, which was dirty but has been cleaned up now and in 2006 was awarded a blue flag. The district includes 60 km of coastline for tourism, fishing and prawn fishing. And it is possible to take a motorboat from here to Avşa
or Marmara Island
. With all this to offer Şarköy is naturally popular with holidaymakers from Istanbul. There are hotels and guest houses in the town of Şarköy, but not enough to fill the demand in summertime. There are also compounds of holiday flats for summer residents. The town has a little jetty and pretty narrow lanes, The night-life and cuisine of the towns are not top-class, Şarköy attracts Istanbul's lower-middle class coming on family holidays, but there are bars and discos playing a variety of different musics, and places among the rocks for the young or young at heart to creep off and drink beer. The actor and dancer Yaşar Alptekin has a club here. And as this area thrives on wine-making and tourism people are pretty cool about life. The young generation tend to migrate to Istanbul for study and careers. Uçmakdere village has a parasailing
possibility between end of May and beginning of September.
The land behind the coast has the right micro-climate for vineyards and wine-making; Şarköy is known for its wine and holds a wine festival each autumn. Güler Sabancı
has a winery here making a Cabernet Sauvignon called Gulor. And the olives are very good too.
There is also an institute of the University of Thrace here.
Tekirdag Province
The Tekirdağ Province is in Trakya , the northwestern part of Turkey. The capital city is Tekirdağ. It is famous for its meatball called "Tekirdağ köfte" and the Turkish alcoholic drink called Tekirdağ rakısı.-Districts:...
situated on the north coast of the Marmara Sea in Thrace
Thrace
Thrace is a historical and geographic area in southeast Europe. As a geographical concept, Thrace designates a region bounded by the Balkan Mountains on the north, Rhodope Mountains and the Aegean Sea on the south, and by the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara on the east...
in Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
. Şarköy is 86 km west of the town of Tekirdağ
Tekirdag
Tekirdağ , the ancient Bisanthi , is a city in Eastern Thrace, in the European part of Turkey. Tekirdağ is the capital of Tekirdağ Province, felt by the local people to be a quieter and more pleasant town than the industrial centre of Çorlu, which it administers. The city population as of 2009 was...
, and can be reached either by the inland road or by the winding coast road, which goes on to Gallipoli
Gallipoli
The Gallipoli peninsula is located in Turkish Thrace , the European part of Turkey, with the Aegean Sea to the west and the Dardanelles straits to the east. Gallipoli derives its name from the Greek "Καλλίπολις" , meaning "Beautiful City"...
. The mayor is Süleyman Altınok (CHP
Republican People's Party (Turkey)
The Republican People's Party is a centre-left Kemalist political party in Turkey. It is the oldest political party of Turkey and is currently Main Opposition in the Grand National Assembly. The Republican People's Party describes itself as "a modern social-democratic party, which is faithful to...
).
History
Stone-age weapons and implements have been found in the villages of Kızılcaterzi, Fener Karadutlar and Sofuköy. Bronze Age artefacts from 1200BC have been found in İğdebağları (Araplı), showing that mining took place here and also that there were trading links between Thrace and the Aegean coast.Greek colonies were founded from 750 to 550 BC with the agreement of the local Thracians. The Greek villages of Heraklea (Eriklice), Hora (Hoşköy), Ganos (Ganoz), Bizatnhe-Panion (Barbaros) later fell in to the hands of the Romans. Then under Byzantine rule Thrace was subject wave on wave of invaders coming via the Balkans; Huns, Slavs, Bulgars, the Crusades. By this time the area was known as Tristatis, Peristesi and also Agora.
Following the Ottoman takeover in 1362 the name became 'Şehirköy' ('city-village') and later mutated to 'Şarköy'. The area was first conquered in 1356 by Süleyman Paşa, son of Orhangazi, the son of the founder of the Ottoman dynasty. It changed a few times before coming permanently under Ottoman control in 1362.
In the Ottoman period this coastline thrived growing produce to ship to Istanbul, wine-making, and also making bricks and roof-tiles which were exported further afield.
A major fault-lines runs just off this coast and in 1912 Şarköy and nearby Mürefte were badly damaged by an earthquake, bringing down practically every house (850 in Mürefte, 1085 in Şarköy). She was a township (bucak) in Gelibolu sanjak and belonged to Kaptanpaşa vilayet at first. Gelibolu sanjak bounded to Edirne
Edirne
Edirne is a city in Eastern Thrace, the northwestern part of Turkey, close to the borders with Greece and Bulgaria. Edirne served as the capital city of the Ottoman Empire from 1365 to 1453, before Constantinople became the empire's new capital. At present, Edirne is the capital of the Edirne...
vilayet in 1864.
The coast was occupied briefly by Bulgarian forces on December 22, 1912 during the Balkan Wars
Balkan Wars
The Balkan Wars were two conflicts that took place in the Balkans in south-eastern Europe in 1912 and 1913.By the early 20th century, Montenegro, Bulgaria, Greece and Serbia, the countries of the Balkan League, had achieved their independence from the Ottoman Empire, but large parts of their ethnic...
, and again in 1920-22 by Greek forces during the Turkish War of Independence
Turkish War of Independence
The Turkish War of Independence was a war of independence waged by Turkish nationalists against the Allies, after the country was partitioned by the Allies following the Ottoman Empire's defeat in World War I...
, this time with the support of the local Greek and Armenian people. She was a district in Gelibolu
Gelibolu
Gelibolu, also known as Gallipoli , is the name of a town and a district in Çanakkale Province of the Marmara region, located in Eastern Thrace in the European part of Turkey on the southern shore of the peninsula named after it on the Dardanelles strait, two miles away from Lapseki on the other...
province between 1922-1926 before bounding to Tekirdağ province.
The area today
Şarköy and Mürefte are small country towns providing the surrounding villages with amenities such as medical care and high schools. 90% of the land is cultivated, vineyards and olive groves near the coast, with sunflowers, wheat, barley and tobacco inland.Şarköy has the longest beach in Turkey, the 12th longest in the world, which was dirty but has been cleaned up now and in 2006 was awarded a blue flag. The district includes 60 km of coastline for tourism, fishing and prawn fishing. And it is possible to take a motorboat from here to Avşa
Avsa
Avşa Island or Türkeli is a Turkish island in the southern Sea of Marmara. It was the classical and Byzantine Aphousia or Ophiousa and was a place of exile during the Byzantine period....
or Marmara Island
Marmara Island
Marmara is a Turkish island in the Sea of Marmara. It is the largest island in the Sea of Marmara that is the center of Marmara district in Balıkesir Province...
. With all this to offer Şarköy is naturally popular with holidaymakers from Istanbul. There are hotels and guest houses in the town of Şarköy, but not enough to fill the demand in summertime. There are also compounds of holiday flats for summer residents. The town has a little jetty and pretty narrow lanes, The night-life and cuisine of the towns are not top-class, Şarköy attracts Istanbul's lower-middle class coming on family holidays, but there are bars and discos playing a variety of different musics, and places among the rocks for the young or young at heart to creep off and drink beer. The actor and dancer Yaşar Alptekin has a club here. And as this area thrives on wine-making and tourism people are pretty cool about life. The young generation tend to migrate to Istanbul for study and careers. Uçmakdere village has a parasailing
Parasailing
Parasailing, also known as parascending, or "parakiting" is a recreational kiting activity where a person is towed behind a vehicle while attached to a specially designed canopy wing that reminds one of a parachute, known as a parasail wing...
possibility between end of May and beginning of September.
The land behind the coast has the right micro-climate for vineyards and wine-making; Şarköy is known for its wine and holds a wine festival each autumn. Güler Sabancı
Güler Sabanci
Güler Sabancı is a third-generation female member of the renowned Sabancı family, and currently the chairperson of the family-controlled Sabancı Holding, the second-biggest industrial and financial conglomerate of Turkey.-Biography:...
has a winery here making a Cabernet Sauvignon called Gulor. And the olives are very good too.
There is also an institute of the University of Thrace here.
Places of interest
- Great Mosque of Gazi Süleyman Pasha
- Uçmakdere - (formerly 'Vidimo') 36 km from Şarköy, on a winding road along the cliffs from Tekirdağ. Uçmakdere is a lovely seaside village on a rocky coast with pretty wine-growing countryside behind. A wine making centre since the Byzantine period, Greek-built wineries still active today. Ruins of a Byzantine monastery, once silk was made here too. Partridge shooting on the steep hillside behind the village, and also great views.
- Gaziköy - 25 km from Şarköy, 2700 years of history including; fossils, ruined Byzantine houses and churches, the castle named 'Ganos'
- Hoşköy - (formerly 'Hora') 16 km from Şarköy, another village with vineyards ('Melen' and others) and a long history
- Eriklice - an old-established seaside fishing village with vineyards and olive groves
- Mürefte - (formerly 'Mryofto') - 13 km from Şarköy, an ancient tree-lined village on a lovely coastline, with views of Marmara IslandMarmara IslandMarmara is a Turkish island in the Sea of Marmara. It is the largest island in the Sea of Marmara that is the center of Marmara district in Balıkesir Province...
across the sea. Wine-making and olive-growing. There are guest houses and restaurants for those looking for a weekend escape from Istanbul. Wine-making is a large-scale modern industry here now, well known grape varieties such as semillonSémillonSémillon is a golden-skinned grape used to make dry and sweet white wines, most notably in France and Australia.-History:The origin of the Sémillon grape is hard to determine. It is known that it first arrived in Australia in the early 19th century and by the 1820s the grape covered over 90 percent...
and gamayGamayGamay is a purple-colored grape variety used to make red wines, most notably grown in Beaujolais and in the Loire Valley around Tours. Its full name is Gamay Noir à Jus Blanc. It is a very old cultivar, mentioned as long ago as the 15th century...
are grown alongside the traditional local varieties for use in wineries including Kutman.