Uzunköprü

Uzunköprü (in English long bridge) is a town in Edirne Province in Turkey. It is named after a historical stone bridge, claimed to be the world’s longest, on the Ergene River. It is a strategically important border town, located on the routes connecting Turkey to the Balkans and Europe. Uzunköprü is the largest and the second most populous town of Edirne Province.

The town is served by Uzunköprü railway station.

History

The history of Uzunköprü goes back to the Neolithic Era (8000-5500). In the field surveys conducted in Maslıdere situated on the way going to Kırkkavak village to the south a lot of ware fragments overlaid with ornamental striped and pressed figures have been found that their congeners have never been encountered in Greece and Bulgaria. Nevertheless, the information about this era is inadequate because the researches haven’t been taken further. Therefore, the history of the region from these ages to the 15th century BC is still unknown.

In 15th century BC the land began to be settled by the Thracians and they had become tho sole owner of the place for a long time. However, after the 7th century BC the Thracian domination came to end by the continuous invasions over the years and got into the hands sequentially of Greeks, Persians, Macedonians, Romans and Byzantines.