The picturesque bay of Tekirdağ is enclosed by the great promontory of the mountain which gives its name to the city. The Tekirdağ area is the site of many holiday homes, as the city is only two hours drive from Istanbul via a new four-lane highway. The villages of Şarköy, Mürefte and Kumbağ are particularly popular with Turkish tourists. Tekirdağ is a Turkish commercial town centre with a harbour for agricultural products. Tekirdağ has so much to offer when it comes to nomadic handicrafts and creativity. Corlu, about 40 kms from Tekirdağ has many outlet stores and factory sale shops that offer tax-free and VAT refundable textile shopping.