Karaağaç Old Train Station is a registered station building located in the Karaağaç Neighborhood of Edirne Province, Türkiye, built in the early 20th century and currently serving as the Faculty of Fine Arts of Trakya University. The building was designed as one of the important stops on the railway line connecting Istanbul to Europe and was important in terms of architecture, transportation and political history due to the period it was built.
Karaağaç Old Train Station (Republic of Turkey Ministry of Culture and Tourism)
First Station Building (1872)
The first station building built in the region with the opening of the railway was built in 1872. The architectural details of this first structure cannot be directly accessed, but information can be obtained through period postcards and visuals in various sources. The structure in question is located in the area where the current station building is located, and it is stated that the opening ceremony was held here. It is claimed that the structure, which was later used as a social facility affiliated with Trakya University, was the first station building.
New Station Building (1914-1930)
The current Karaağaç Station was designed in the neoclassical style by Mimar Kemalettin Bey on behalf of the Eastern Railways Company. Although different sources give different dates regarding the year of construction, it is stated that the design dates back to the early years of the Second Constitutional Era, and the construction dates back to 1911-1912 or 1912-1913. The building was generally completed in 1914, but due to World War I and the political developments that followed, it could only be put into service in 1930. The station building underwent extensive repairs in 1959, and its interiors were reorganized.
Architectural Features
Karaağaç Train Station is a three-story, rectangular-planned, approximately 80 meters long building. Its architectural style is defined as neoclassical, and it was built by taking the Sirkeci Station in Istanbul as an example. The unit of measurement used in the plans is "mikyas". The plan of the building is based on the original design of Mimar Kemalettin Bey. However, in 1959, changes were made to a copy of this plan for repair purposes. Independent bathroom units were added to the lodgings, and the waiting rooms, restaurant, baggage, and ticket office sections on the lower floors were rearranged.
The Use of the Station and the Process of Abandonment
With the change of direction of the Edirne-Istanbul line, the use of Karaağaç Station was terminated on October 4, 1971. The building was used as an outpost during the 1974 Cyprus Operation. It was purchased by the Ministry of Finance on June 16, 1977 and transferred to the newly established State Engineering and Architecture Academy in Edirne. In the following years, it was used as a guesthouse, classroom and rectorate building by Trakya University; as of 2017, it started to serve as the Faculty of Fine Arts.
Trakya University Use and Protection
Today, Karaağaç Old Train Station is used as the educational structure of Trakya University Faculty of Fine Arts. Other structures belonging to the railways are also evaluated for functional purposes by various departments within the university. The historical, architectural and urban texture of the structure has been preserved; it has been brought to the present day with its original quality within the scope of maintenance and restoration works.
Nostalgic Land Train and Touristic Function
The nostalgic land train exhibited on the rails next to the station building is a two-car train numbered “55020” belonging to the State Railways of the Republic of Turkey and is a tourist attraction arranged for photographing purposes. Maintenance and cleaning operations are carried out especially before the tourist season. Visitors prefer to take photographs on the stage created by the station building and the train. This area is a symbolic attraction point for both Edirne residents and tourists visiting the city.
Black Train (AA)
Black Train (Turkiye Culture Portal)
Photo Tourism and Seasonal Use
Karaağaç Train Station functions as an open-air venue that attracts photography enthusiasts, especially during the autumn season. The natural landscape dominated by yellow and brown in Edirne, the station structure, and the black train, creates a photography area that combines urban and natural landscapes. In this respect, the station building is included in many visual documents in terms of urban aesthetics and cultural memory.
Historical Importance
Karaağaç Train Station is important as a reflection of railway transportation in the region during the transition from the Ottoman to the Republic period and as an indicator of its inclusion in the Eastern Railways network. The structure is noteworthy in Turkish architectural history as it is among the works of architect Kemalettin Bey. It was also one of the westernmost important stops on the main railway route connecting Istanbul to Europe at the beginning of the 20th century.
Current Status
Karaağaç Old Train Station currently hosts educational, cultural, and artistic activities. The structure and its surroundings are used both as an event area belonging to the university and as a carrier of urban memory. It is owned by Trakya University and is actively used by academic staff, students, and visitors.
