CANAKKALE: Homeland of Legends
The province of Canakkale lies on both sides of the Dardanelles, which connecting the Sea of Marmara to the Aegean Sea. Its shores touch both Europe (with the Gelibolu Peninsula) and Asia (with the Biga Peninsula) and there are ferries and suspension bridge here between the two sides. The well-equipped Canakkale Marina, besides those of Karabiga, Gelibolu, Bozcaada and Kucukkuyu, hosts the colorful yachts which pass through the strait and make a stopover at Canakkale, to see this historical and mythological-rich area homeland of many widely known legends.
The province has witnessed two very important battles in history. One of them is the mythological war of Troy, which Homer immortalized in his Iliad. Archeological digs in Troy have proved that there had been nine separate periods of settlement. (3000 BC-AD 400). Here, one can see the ruins of city walls in addition to the imitation of wooden Trojan Horse.
Homeland of Legends
The other one is the Battle of Canakkale which took place during World War I when Turkish troops under the command of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk maintained the defense of the region against enemy forces and Canakkale has taken its place in history as ‘Canakkale; unpassable. To honor the 500,000 soldiers who lost their lives at Gelibolu (Gallipoli), this peninsula has been made a national park of remembrance. There are memorial monuments here in surroundings of natural beauty.
The small village of Behramkale is a lovely place, facing the Gulf of Edremit. It is founded on the site of Assos where there is the famous Temple of Athena built in the 6th century BC. The panoramic view of the Gulf from the top of the acropolis is breathtaking and the remains of Assos, surrounding the acropolis are worth visiting.
Gokceada, the largest of the Turkish islands, and Bozcaada are also in this region and they have many accommodation facilities.