Canakkale Travel Guide

Canakkale is situated on the Asian part of the Dardanelles known as 'the Narrows' as it is the narrowest part of Dardanelles being just over a kilometre across, the European site is called Eceabat. The Dardanelles strait  is the stretch of water that separates Europe from Asia and links the Aegean Sea to the south with the Sea of Marmara to the north.

Somewhere here Alexander the Great had crossed the straits on his campaign against the Persian Emperor. It's handed down that he gave order to beat the waves to show them their master is coming to cross the sea.

Nowadays, many travellers come to Canakkale to visit the World War I Gallipoli Battlefields where in 1915  Mustafa Kemal, later better known as Atatürk , (the first President of Turkey) defended against an invasion by Allied (French, British, Italians, Australians and New Zealanders) soldiers. During this  nine months campaign more than 250,000 soldiers lost their life on both sides.  Many of them are buried at the cemeteries of the vicinity. It can take up to six hours to visit the three war museums and many cemeteries.  Some trenches are only 10m apart. Every year on April 25th,  at dawn, the Allied and Turkish veterans commemorate the invasion.

Another hotspot nearby is the ancient city of Troy.  Where the famous Trojan Horse is located. Here is the place to see and feel that people have been living in this land continously since 3000 B.C.!  Also, Assos  (Behramkale) is located  90km south of Çanakkale, make sure you visit the area while  nearby. Assos in an old historical place. The ancient city of Assos is located on the hill , 235 m above the  sea level and only 15 km away from  Lesbos (Mytilene) , Greek, Island. Also one can see the  Bay of Edremit and Ayvalık at the top of the hill from the Athena temple.

Besides the temple ruins of the  theater, agora, stoa, churces and Ottoman mosque are at the  site. The ancient city of Assos was discovered in 1879. This ancient city was  mentioned in Homer also by the  famous geographer Strabo. Aristotle lived and taught in the  city for 3 years. The  city had been changed hands by  Lydia, Persia, Byzantine, Selecus and finally Ottoman.