Edirne Province
Edirne Province () is a Turkish province located in East Thrace. Part of European Turkey, it is one of only three provinces located entirely within continental Europe. Its area is 6,145 km2, and its population is 414,714 (2022). Edirne Province ...
,
Turkey
Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...
. It is the seat of
Meriç District
Meriç District is a district of the Edirne Province of Turkey. Its seat is the town of Meriç.İlçe Belediyesi Turkey Civil Administration Departments Inventory. Retrieved 1 March 2023. Its population is 2,820 (2022). The mayor is Yunus Atay ( AKP).
History
The land was conquered by the Ottomans in 1361. Until the Balkan Wars in 1912, a part of the district was part of
Soufli
Soufli () is a town in the Evros (regional unit), Evros regional unit, Greece, notable for the silk industry that flourished there in the 19th century. The town stands on the eastern slope of the twin hill of Prophet Elias, one of the easternmost s ...
(back then still part of the Ottoman Empire), with the other part being connected to the neighbouring district
Uzunköprü
Uzunköprü 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 B ...
. After Soufli was lost to
Greece
Greece, officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. Located on the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula, it shares land borders with Albania to the northwest, North Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to th ...
in 1913, a new district was formed with the name ''Kavaklı''. From 1920 to 1922, the area was annexed by Greece. Until 1930, the name stayed the same. In 1930, the district got its current name ''Meriç''.
Name
*Kavaklı (1913-1930)
*Meriç (1930-present)
The name ''Meriç'' comes from the river of Meriç, a river forming the border between present day
Turkey
Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...
and
Greece
Greece, officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. Located on the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula, it shares land borders with Albania to the northwest, North Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to th ...