Nükhet Işıkoğlu: A strange station "Karaağaç"

A strange station "Elm"

On a cloudy Istanbul day, when I got on the train from Sirkeci Gar, I felt the frustration of traveling by train to reach a station where trains didn't stop.

My journey to one of the most beautiful corners of my beautiful homeland, the only Turkish land on the other side of the water, Edirne, which was the capital of the Ottoman Empire, after a thousand struggles and the last piece of land that they kept in Rumelia ra Karaağaç kalan, after his story ö

From the old stone bridges that crossed the Tunca and then the Meriç, along with the autumn sun, through the branches of the trees, we entered a cobblestone road, accompanied by history, nature and bird sounds. To Karaağaç sık Meriç Bridge, Former Patrol Building and centuries-old trees they accompanied us bize

At the end of Elm Train Station, she welcomed us with all her grandeur and beauty. It was the last castle of a time. It was like we went through a time tunnel. The only drawback was the trains Tek

The rulers of the Ottoman Tanzimat Period believed that political integration would be achieved by building a railroad that would connect Istanbul to European countries. Starting from Istanbul, the construction of the railway was started in 1870 in order to connect Enez, Thessaloniki and Burgas with the branches that pass through Edirne, Plovdiv and Sarajevo and extend to the border of Sava River, and also depart from this line. The railway between Istanbul-Edirne-Sarımbey was completed on June 17, 1873.

The railway connecting Istanbul to Europe was passing through Karaağaç and this situation changed the fate of Karaağaç.

The representative offices of foreign countries brought people from different cultures together. Karaağaç soon became the entertainment center of Edirne and even the Balkans. Artists and entertainment groups from Europe organized various shows and balls here, which made Karaağaç known as “little Paris” at that time.

This important station of the railway connecting Istanbul and Europe was crowned by the architect Kemalettin bey in the Neo-Classical style. Karaağaç Gar's construction started in 1914 but it was interrupted due to World War I. After the proclamation of the Republic, it was opened to operation.

Karaağaç Train Station is one of the four railway stations designed by the Architect Kemalettin Bey on behalf of the ”Orient Railway Company Kara. Other station structures designed by Architect Kemalettin Bey include Plovdiv Station, Thessaloniki Station and Sofia Station.

One of the most beautiful examples of Neo-Classical Turkish architecture, Karaağaç Train Station is a three-storey rectangular plan and has been designed by 80 m. length is a structure. According to the masonry wall system there is a large hall in the middle of the station made of bricks. In the outer walls, windows, door arches and towers on both sides of the entrance, cut stones are used. The pointed arched windows surrounding the building reflect this style. In the meantime, steel beams were used in the construction of the floors. The station building is covered with a steel roof scissor and a roof covered with asbestos plate. The round body towers at both ends of the structure are made of cut stone. The wipers, girdles, half-heads, hourglass motifs, eaves and the Turkish triangles that circulate on them are an example of Neo-Classical Turkish architecture in Edirne.

30 According to the Mondros Armistice signed on October 1918, the Thracian border was drawn with the Meriç River and the Karaağaç District remained on the Greek territory to the right of the river Meriç.

During the War of Independence, Edirne and Karaagac remained under Greek occupation. 11 In October 1922, as a result of the Mudanya Armistice, the liberation of Edirne took place in 25 November 1922, but all the lands on the other side of the water and Karaağaç were lost.

This situation led to serious and important discussions in the Lausanne Treaty meetings and the Treaty of Lausanne signed on 24 July 1923 with the Treaty of Lausanne and the destruction of the Greeks during the war against the Turkish War.

Thus Elm, remaining in Turkey with Greece Evros River forms the natural border on the western bank was the only Turkish soil.

After the War of Independence, only a portion of the 337 km of the railway was in Turkish territory. For this reason, in order to reach Karaagac Train Station from Istanbul, the necessity of passing through the Greek lands has emerged. State Railways of the Republic of Turkey after the Turkish border in the last yaptırınca up a new railway station Uzunköprü passing through Greek territory have continued to reach Elm. 4 with 1971 km Pehlivanköy-Edirne line opened on October 67

The connection between Istanbul and Edirne is arranged to pass directly through Turkish territory. With the opening of the new line, the 33 km section on the Greek territory has been removed.

And with the construction of the new road Karaagac Train Station has become a station no longer trains.

During the 1974 Cyprus operation, the building of the garage served as an outpost for a while and was later given to Trakya University.

Following the transfer of the Rectorate of the University to Karaağaç, a decision taken by the Rectorate of the University in 1996 decided to make a memorial, a square and a museum to commemorate the Lausanne Treaty, which sets the borders of the Republic of Turkey and ensures its national integrity.

Considering historical events and evaluations, it is concluded that Karaağaç is the most suitable place for the Lausanne Monument.

For this reason, the Senate of Trakya University evaluated this historical event and decided to make the monument in Karaağaç.

The monument in Karaağaç Lausanne Square is the only symbol of our victory in Lausanne, and the Lausanne Museum is the documentary description of this. The Lausanne monument is composed of reinforced concrete columns and the 45 console with 3 angle. The first and the highest columns represent Anatolia, the second and middle elevation columns represent Thrace and the third and shorter columns represent Karaağaç.

These columns are 7.20 m. The concrete hoop that connects it at the height is the symbol of unity and togetherness, the figure of the young girl placed on the front of this circle; it represents aesthetics, elegance and law. The pigeon of the figure of the young girl is the symbol of Peace and Democracy and the document of the other hand is the symbol of the Treaty of Lausanne. The semicircular 15 m. The semi-diameter pool represents the seas surrounding our country.

The Lausanne Museum, located right next to Lausanne Square, is located in one of the additional buildings of the old station.

Some of them have been demolished, some of them have been restored and survived by the Greek houses and centuries old trees sorted, quiet, calm, the cats can roam the streets without the streets of Karaağaç'ın.

Edirne city and Karaağaç where we have taken back hundreds of martyrs, which are the remains of the positions, where the great battles are lived, are still very beautiful tep very valuable inde.