Malkara

Malkara is a municipality and district in Tekirdağ Province, Turkey, with an area of 1,243 km², making it the largest in the province. As of 2022, its population is 50,988. Located 55 km west of Tekirdağ and 190 km from Istanbul, it is served by Mayor Nergiz Karaağaçlı Öztürk of the CHP party. The climate is a hot-summer Mediterranean type, characterized by hot, dry summers and cool, rainy winters that can occasionally be snowy. Historically, Malkara's name may derive from the Persian "Margaar" (snake cave) or from Malgar, a general under Alexander the Great who built fortifications there. Under Ottoman rule, it became a settlement for Anatolian Turks and served as a place of exile for notable figures like Hacı Evhat and Koca Sinan Pasha. In the 17th century, Evliya Çelebi described Malkara as a well-organized town known for its honey, cheese, and leather production. The town experienced uprisings, such as the Janissaries' revolt in the late 18th century against Sultan Selim III's reforms. It was occupied during the Russo-Turkish Wars of 1828-1829 and 1877-1878, and by Bulgarian forces for 8.5 months during the Balkan Wars. After the 1913 Ottoman coup, it was reoccupied by Ottoman troops. Today, Malkara is a market town focused on sunflower cultivation for seeds and oil, with some coal mining activity. Many residents have Balkan origins and hold liberal, secular views. The district comprises 77 neighborhoods and features Yenidibek village as a popular picnic spot with a Byzantine castle ruin. Notable native Orhan Öztrak (1914–1995) ...