Lüleburgaz

Facts

The city has a population of 100,412 (2010 census) and is the largest district center in Kırklareli Province.

Lüleburgaz is known for its sixteenth-century mosque and bridge, both named after the Grand Vizier Sokollu Mehmet Paşa and purportedly designed by the Ottoman chief architect Mimar Sinan.

Economy

The economy of Lüleburgaz is mainly based on the industrial sector and agriculture. There are various factories around the city.

Agriculture

Widely grown crop in Lüleburgaz are sunflower, wheat and corn.

History

The ancient name of the city was Bergula; Emperor Theodosius I changed it to Arcadiopolis (Greek: Αρκαδιούπολις) in honour of his son and successor Arcadius.

The city of Arcadiopolis fell to Attila the Hun during his campaign against the Eastern Roman Empire in 443 AD.

The Battle of Arcadiopolis (970) saw Byzantine forces defeat an invading Kievan-Pecheneg-Magyar force who were aiming to capture Constantinople, 100 miles (161 kilometres) to the east.

The Battle of Lule Burgas (1912) was here in the First Balkan War.

As the capital of the Roman province of Europa it had its own bishop, who was noted to a number of important church councils and was noted as an autocephalous archbishopric by the seventh century. It is no longer a residential bishopric, although the Diocese of Arcadiopolis survives as a Roman Catholic titular see.

Sport

In 2007, a women's football club, the Düvenciler Lisesispor was founded, which played in the Turkish Women's First Football League after promotion from the Second League. The team changed its name to Lüleburgaz 39 Spor and colors from yellow-black to red-green in 2011. The club ended its participation in the league in the 2013-14 season.