About Canakkale

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The city of Çanakkale lies at the narrow Dardanelles that connects the Sea of Marmara and the Aegean. Historic National Park of Gelibolu Peninsula was established to honor the 500,000 soldiers who lost their lives on Gelibolu, also known as Gallipoli. Homer immortalized Troy in his stories of King Priam, Hector, Paris and the beautiful Helen. A symbolic wooden Trojan horse commemorates the legendary war. The ancient harbor of Alexandria-Troas was built in the 3rd century BC. St. Paul passed through twice, and then on his third missionary journey, he continued on to Assos.

Canakkale, like Istanbul has territory in both the Europe and Asia.  It is a town and seaport, located on the narrowest point of the southern coast of the Dardanelles.  The city has been host to many civilisations; the earliest settlements are thought to be 4000BC.  However Çanakkale’s real history began with Troy between the years 3000 – 2000 BC and Gallipoli during World War I.

Eceabat, formally known as Maydos is located in the Canakkale district, on the east shore of the Gallipoli Peninsula on the Dardanelles Strait.  It is a small relaxed waterfront town, with easy access to Gallipoli

CANAKKALE

Canakkale is one of the unigue city of Turkey both archeological and ethnographical  great past situated  in the northwest of the country  and  a gateway between Europe and Asia which was founded on two continents. Dardanel, one of the main water straits of Turkey seperating into two with Bosphorus, is the trademark of this city. Çanakkale is also known as the home  Trojan wars, land of Gallipoli and matrys of World War I where thousands of young Turks   and Anzac troops lost their lives during the battefields. Today  millions of visitors, both foreigners and Turks ,  come to see memorial monuments, tombs, graves and cemeterises to respect their forefathers’ memories.
 
Looking for cost-effective solutions to visit Canakkale? At Tour Maker Turkey, we offer the best priced Canakkale tour packages for you and your family. After picking you from the airport, seaport or a hotel, our travel guide will take you Canakkale’s renowned locations, such as Gallipoli National Park and Mirror Mall. 

The city is surrounded by  Balikesir in the east, Aegean Sea in the West, Tekirdag and Sea of Marmara in the North. Çanakklae has the second longest coastline city of Turkey which covers  more than 650 kms. Due to its location between Bursa and Izmir, the city has an important transit center towards to Aegan Region which is highly agricultural and industrial part of the country.

Canakkale is a town and seaport in Turkey, in Canakkale Province, on the southern Asian coast of the Dardanelles at their narrowest point. The population of the town is about one hundred tousand counted at 2010.

Canakkale Province, like Istanbul Province, has territory in both Europe and Asia. Ferries cross here to the northern, European side. Ancient Troy is placed near to the Canakkale city. The Wooden Horse from the 2004 movie Troy is exhibited on the seafront. Canakkale is the second city to be situated on two continents after Istanbul. However Canakkale is closer to mid division than Istanbul. Canakkale also had a role in the new Turkish republics independence.

HISTORY
Hellespont, Dardanel, Troy, Truva , these Greek mythological names tell us the city has been hosted so many civilizations  with legends from the beginning and so far. According the written sources and archeological digs, history goes back to 4000 BC.  The city first established in the location of Kumkale (Sand castle area) around 4000 BC and Troy was about 3200 BC. Between the 2nd and 1st Century BC is the peak period of Troy and the city  has nine layers of Troy today.  In the 7th C BC Lydians, later Persians took over the city. Alexander the great in 334 BC captured the city then it became the under control of Pergamene Kingdom.  1st C AD Roman era begun and the city was taken over by  Arabic forces in the 6th AD. 

The city was ruled by the Selçuk Turks between 11th and 14th centuries. In 1367 the city fell into Ottoman hands and has been one the most important trade centers for a long time. In 1915, just after the beginning of the World War I, Alliens (British and French army troops ),their aims  was  to capture İstanbul  and to end of the Ottoman Empire, attacked to the city  known as Gallipoli battefield all over the World. The fight between the Alliens and Ottomans ended up in 1918 and about half a  million soldiers died in both sides during the battefields. Atatürk, who is the founder of modern Turkey, was the commander of the Ottoman troops as army general.Only 255.000 Turkish soldiers have been lost in three years siege and one person from each house was killed throughout Turkey during the Gallipoli Wars.



SIGHTS WORTH VISITING IN CANAKKALE


ASSOS, SEAPORT
A Greek and a Roman settlement with ancient  seaport between Greek Islands and Troia and was one of the important naval base of its time.

GALLIPOLI NATIONAL PARK
(CANAKKALE WAR MUSEUM)
Memorial monuments and historical tombs both Ottoman and  Anzac troops.It also  has a great War Museum with original weapons, swords, missiles, artillery shells, bullets, meadllions, batteries and so on.

TROY, TROIA
The birthplace  of Illyada and Odessa epics, of Homer, who was the great Greek novelist and historian, has a thousand years of past and everbody in the world knows where Troia is because of both Greek mythology taught at schools and famous American movie.

AYNALI CARSI, MIRROR MALL
The shopping centre  known as Mirror Mall, famous in Turkish history. You can find a alot of folk songs in Turkish Folk music about this marketplace.

IDA MOUNTAINS
(BOTANICAL GARDEN OF TURKEY)
Mythological mountains with very rich and endemic flora and fauna . The range of mountains are considered as Turkey’s Botanical Garden by the plant experts.


TROJAN HORSE, EPIC OF HOMER
It locates in the sea front  which was gifted by Holywood  to municipality of Canakkale after the film titled Troia acted  Brad Pitt and Orlando Bloom in 2004.