Corlu
Introduction
Çorlu is a municipality and district in Tekirdağ Province, in northwestern Turkey. It sits on flatland between Istanbul and Turkey's border with Greece and Bulgaria, positioned on the motorway Otoyol 3 and just off the D.100 highway, which makes it a straightforward stop for travellers moving across the region by road.
The city is a rapidly growing industrial centre, and the nearest airport is Tekirdağ Çorlu Atatürk Airport (TEQ).
Before you go
Çorlu is an industrial town, the first major settlement west of the Istanbul metropolitan area, set astride the historic highway towards Edirne, Bulgaria and Greece. It grew rapidly with the textile industry and boomed in the 1980s and 90s, drawing in workers and settlers from Anatolia, Bulgaria and Romania, and expanding east along the road to Istanbul, Salih Omurtak Cd. Expect concrete modern blocks rather than Ottoman wooden buildings, which were largely swept aside as the town grew. Before you go, plan around a few practical points. The tap water is suspect, so drink bottled. Air quality is poor, especially in winter. The town has several rough outlying districts, such as the northwestern neighbourhood of Kore Mahallesi, where you have no reason to go.Getting there
Most visitors reach Çorlu via Istanbul. Istanbul Airport (IST) has the widest range of flights, and İstanbul Seyahat buses run from there every couple of hours, stopping on the D-100 at Çorlu Ağır Bakım, a little further out than the town. From Istanbul Avrupa station, İstanbul Seyahat buses take just under two hours and run hourly, with a last bus near midnight; they serve the Orion Mall east of the centre rather than the congested downtown, though a ticket to the central otogar may include your onward transfer. Metro buses from Samandıra, in Istanbul's eastern suburbs, run round the clock and take four hours — useful mainly if you fly into Sabiha Gökçen on the Asian side.
Çorlu's own airport, Tekirdağ Çorlu (TEQ), sits east of the centre and has only a twice-weekly Pegasus flight from Ankara; bus 13 serves it but is aimed at airport workers, so a taxi is the practical option. Three regional trains a day run from Istanbul Halkali via Çerkezköy, continuing west to Lüleburgaz, with connections on to Edirne and Uzunköprü; the railway station is northwest of the centre. From Tekirdağ, Elbirlik Koop minibuses run every 15 minutes and take 30 minutes — change there for buses from the Gallipoli peninsula and Çanakkale. Dolmuşes leave from near the army base in the centre for surrounding towns, coastal villages, Tekirdağ, Edirne and even Istanbul, departing when full. By car, Çorlu lies on the D-100 between Istanbul and Europe, while the O-3/E80 toll motorway bypasses it to the north.
Getting around
The centre of Çorlu is flat and compact, so walking is the simplest way to cover the core. Salih Omurtak Caddesi is the main drag, following the historic highway between Istanbul and Edirne, while Atatürk Bulvarı runs across the southern part of town. Two things are worth knowing before you set out on foot: the road through the centre is often congested, so expect slow traffic and busy crossings, and the centre has stayed roughly the same size since the early 1990s even as the city grew, with newer development spreading outward. Cycling is possible, but local drivers pay little regard to cyclists, so it is not a relaxed option. Since around 2000 the eastern side of the city has filled up with tower blocks forming a satellite area, and along Omurtak Boulevard you will find banks, restaurants, malls and a police station — a second centre that means you may rarely need to go into the historic downtown if you are staying out east.
City buses will take you around, but you will need a bus card or your debit or credit card, as no cash payments are accepted. Dolmuşes, the shared minibuses, run from near the army base in the centre to surrounding towns, coastal villages, Tekirdağ, Edirne and even Istanbul for not much more than the bus; the trade-off is that times aren't fixed and they leave when full. Taxis are readily available at the otogar and the railway station and are the practical fallback for reaching the airport or the rail station. The otogar itself is small and the approach streets are congested, so it nowadays serves only local buses; it sits about 500 m west of the town centre, an easy walk, with taxis and dolmuşes waiting there. Note that the railway station lies about 5 km northwest of the centre, so you will need a taxi or dolmuş to bridge that gap, and the airport is also well outside town. Car hire is available from Budget in the town centre, but you might do better renting from the airport.
Where to stay
For a clean and friendly stay, look to the east side of town, where you'll find a well-regarded option. A block south of the main drag, another hotel runs efficiently, and in the town centre itself there's an apartment hotel if you prefer room-only arrangements. West of the central square, an older building has been kept clean and comfortable, with rooms offering satellite TV, air-con, wifi and en suite bathrooms, plus a free car park. Be aware that not every address in Çorlu earns praise. One hotel is widely endorsed by travellers as the worst place to stay in town, and near the well-regarded western option you'll find a neighbour that guests have found noisy, with parking set some distance away. A chain hotel in the fork between the D-100 and the road into town has drawn mixed reviews.Food & drink
< p>You're probably destined to eat Turkish again, and the town centre and main streets hold a slew of places that are all much of a muchness. < /p> < ul> < li>For tea, the cafe outside in Atatürk Park in the town centre is a pleasant place to sup it. < /li> < li>Bars on Kumyol Cd south of Omurtak Cd are western-style. < /li> < li>Bars on Abidin Efendi Sok north of it are mostly beer-houses - drouthy places where women won't feel comfortable. < /li> < li>Boza is a traditional Balkan winter drink, kind-of a sweet-and-sour wheat ale but with the alcohol content of a flat latte. It's particularly made in Velimeşe, 14 km north on the road to Çerkezköy; Öney Boza is a specialty shop near the village centre. < /li> < /ul>What to see and do
In the centre of Çorlu, the Süleymaniye Mosque on the central square is a small single-domed mosque dating from 1521, one of many commissioned by Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent; inside, look for the richly decorated interior and ornate minbar. The Fatih Mosque on the west side of the centre is the city's oldest building, from 1453, though it is plain both outside and within, and what you see now is a rebuild of 1840. On the north side of the centre, the Yeni Mosque served as a synagogue until 1970 and is little altered. The Çorlu Müftülüğü Merkez Mosque stands next to the downtown otogar, and the Town Hall is one of the few older civic buildings to survive. The Çorlu Muhacir Evi, a wooden building north of the main square, is a museum of local family life with household goods and furnishings, while the Atatürk House on the east side of town is a small museum showing events of the War of Independence. Çorlu Castle is just a smashed-up, vandalised course of masonry in a bad neighbourhood. For activity, head for the hills to the east that separate Tekirdağ province from the Istanbul metropolis; their lanes have little traffic and may suit cycling. If you're in town in the last week of October, you can catch the Çorlu Street Festival.When to go
Çorlu has a hot-summer Mediterranean climate, so the seasons shape your trip in fairly predictable ways. Summers are very warm and moderately dry, with limited rain and hot days. This is the best stretch for outdoor sightseeing, though it is also the driest part of the year, so plan around the heat if you intend to spend long hours outside.
Winters are cool and rainy, with occasional snow. Expect wet, chilly days, and pack for both rain and the chance of snow if you visit in this season.
Three days in Corlu
Day one: Arrive in Tekirdağ Province and settle into Çorlu, a city in Turkey that sits within easy reach of Istanbul, Greece and Bulgaria. Use the Otoyol network to get your bearings, whether you come from Istanbul Avrupa or the Asian side via Sabiha Gökçen, and note that Istanbul Airport, Atatürk Airport and Sabiha Gökçen all feed into the region, with Pegasus among the carriers serving the area. Once in town, orient yourself around Kore Mahallesi and Salih Omurtak Cd, then spend the afternoon at Orion Mall. In the evening, eat near the centre and expect Ottoman influences in the local cooking.
Day two: Head out from Çorlu to explore the wider province. Tekirdağ and Tekirda are within reach, as are Lüleburgaz and Uzunköprü, and the route toward Edirne and the Gallipoli area makes a long but rewarding day if you start early. If you prefer to stay closer, use the Metro and local transport links, and consider the connections through Istanbul Halkali. Before you go, check timings for TEQ and the various air and seyahat options, since services vary. Return to Çorlu for a quiet evening.
Day three: Spend your last day at a slower pace. Visit Elbirlik Koop and the Ağır Bakım area if they interest you, or simply wander the streets around Kore Mahallesi and Salih Omurtak Cd for a final look at everyday life in the city. From Istanbul Avrupa or the Anatolian side, departures via Istanbul Airport, Sabiha Gökçen, Atatürk Airport and Samandıra are all part of the wider transport picture, with Ankara and Romania among the onward directions travellers commonly take. Leave time to reach your departure point without rushing.