Yukarıkılıçlı Village: The History of the Kaz Incident

Yukarıkılıçlı Village combines a rural way of life with the memory of the Kaz Incident. The martyrs’ memorial commemorates 43 people who lost their lives in 1912. When choosing a holiday rental, it is therefore important to consider whether you are looking for a place with a strong historical focus.

The History of the Kaz Incident

The name “Kaz Incident” refers to the theft of three geese. Three mounted soldiers from the Bulgarian outpost in İncecik came to Yukarıkılıçlı and took the animals from the village square. Three villagers confronted the soldiers, tied the geese around their necks, and sent them to the outpost in İncecik together with the village guard.

The commander of the Bulgarian outpost ordered 43 people, including men from Yukarıkılıçlı, to be locked in the village headman’s barn and the barn to be set on fire. The imam of Yukarıkılıçlı secretly led the village’s women and children to safety in nearby woodlands and mountainous terrain. The commemoration therefore encompasses both the crime against those trapped inside and the attempt to protect the women and children.

Commemoration at the Site

The villagers turned the 150 m² area containing the barn where the crime took place into a martyrs’ memorial. The marble plaque reads: “43 Kişi Bulgarların Katliamına Kurban Giden Şehitlerimizin Ruhlarına Fatiha 1912”. The inscription commemorates 43 victims of a Bulgarian massacre in 1912. The barn, memorial, and inscription connect the historical account to a specific place of remembrance.

At a memorial ceremony on 29 April 2016, people visited the places where the 43 people lost their lives and said prayers. If you would like to include the memorial in your travel plans, check in advance what visiting options are available.

Village Character and Getting Your Bearings

Yukarıkılıçlı is 23 km from Süleymanpaşa, and the access road is paved. The distance provides a spatial reference to a named point, while the road information describes access. For your specific plans, you can compare both with your own starting point.

Agriculture and livestock farming form the basis of the local economy. This adds another aspect of village life to its history of remembrance. In addition, part of Yukarıkılıçlı lies within the long-distance protection zone at the 2,000-metre catchment boundary of the Yazır Basin. This information applies to part of the village, not the entire village.

If you are looking for a holiday rental, consider Yukarıkılıçlı as a destination based on whether its historical focus and village character fit your plans. This makes your choice of location a starting point grounded in the kind of trip you want; the information about Süleymanpaşa and the access road adds a sense of the area’s location.

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For the main travel overview: Tekirdağ.