CANAKKALE´S MUST SEE
14.01.2021
Çanakkale
AynalıBazaar
Aynalı Bazaar’s name is also mentioned in folk songs.It is located on the Çarşı Street in the center of Çanakkale, and is one of theimportant symbols of the city. The known written history of the Bazaar datesback to the Ottoman Sultan Abbülhamid in the 19th century. Evliya Çelebi, oneof the leading travelers of the 17th century mentioned thisBazaar in his writings. The bazaar, which is thought to have been built orrepaired by Ilya Halyo, one of the prominent Jewish families of Çanakkale, wasdamaged during the Çanakkale Campaign and was reopened after various repairs.
In the past, there were shops in the bazaar, which made harnesses and ornamentsfor horses. It is believed that the name "Aynalı (with Mirrors)Bazaar" is used as a kind of analogy because the "horse glasses"called "Ayna (Mirror)" were being sold in the bazaar. In this case,the large size mirrors placed at the entrance of the present bazaar havenothing to do with the original structure of the bazaar.
Trojan Horse
The Iliad and Odyssey epics of Homer, who lived in thewestern Anatolian coast, in today´s İzmir (ancient Smyrna) in the 8th centuryBC, are based on an oral tradition that dates back to the 2nd millennium.The myth of the "Trojan War" and the sorrows of those whoparticipated in this war have survived to the present day with the series ofIliad and Odyssey. The Iliad consists of the events of the 10-year siege periodin the Troyn Wars.
In Homer´s Iliad, not the conquest of Troy but theconflicts that resulted in the death of Hektor and Patroclos in the 10th yearof the war are described by highlighting the essence of the epic and combiningthem poetically with Achilles´ anger.
Subject of the legend of Paris and Helen, the TrojanHorse was the most intelligent tactical manoeuvre in history planned byOdysseus, the commander of the Achaeans, to take over the city of Troy.
The 12.5 meter high horse at the entrance of the cityas the symbol of the ancient city of Troy was built by the Turkish artist İzzetSenemoğlu using pine trees brought from the Kaz Mountains in 1975.
The wooden horse used in the movie Troy, which wasshot in 2004 inspired by the Trojan War is located in the center of Çanakkaleprovince. Together with the wooden horse you will see when you visit Troy, bothof the horsesare definitely included in the souvenir photos of the visitors.
Naval Museum
Çanakkale Naval Museum, is located in ÇimenlikCastle, which was built in the narrow area of the Bosphorus in 1462 to defendİstanbul. It is a military museum established to meet the information needs ofthe Sea and Land Wars in 1915. This museum, which is operated under the NavalForces Command, hosts items on the battlefield, objects found in villages, andspecial items donated by the people. It reflects the conditions of 1915 to thepeople.
Piri Reis Museum
There are two museums named after Piri Reis, one ofthe oldest cartographers in the world, a geographer and sailor scholar Admiral,who lived in the 16th century.
Piri Reis Marine Sciences Museum is a private museumunder the structure of Onsekiz Mart Çanakkale University, and in this museumhosts more than 100 bony and cartilaginous fishes, around 700 invertebrateanimal specimens, Mediterranean turtle, a specimen of marine reptiles, 2dolphins, and 1 Mediterranean monk seal skeleton, as a specimen of marinemammals, and an herbarium collection of sea algae.
Gallipoli Castle, a Byzantine period building built inthe 8th century, of which ruins are visible on the coast today,is home to the Piri Reis Museum. The museum contains busts, paintings, and mapsdepicting the famous seafarer known to be from Gallipoli.
Considering the situation and conditions ofcartography science in the century in which Piri Reis lived, the importance ofthe 1st World Map, which was drawn by Piri Reis in Gallipoli in1513, and which we have only a part thereof, and which goes beyond its age andcontinues to be admired even today, as we can see North America and theAtlantic Ocean in the part that we have.
Troy Ruins
The oldest settlements in Troy, which has a complexand rich archaeological structure, with 10 different city layers belonging todifferent periods, date back to 3,000 BC. This unique area, which haduninterrupted settlement until 500 AD, enabled the residents of the region tocontrol all the merchant ships that sailed from the Aegean Sea tothe Black Sea in that period.
Troy is an important cityin understanding the early development of European civilization.The city has a cultural significance due to its contribution to Homer´s Iliadand the creative art.
Located within the boundaries of Çanakkale province,on the slopes of the Kaz Mountain, Troy was declared a NationalPark in 1996 and was included in the UNESCOWorld Heritage List as a cultural asset in 1998.
Known mostly by the Trojan Horse among the people, theancient city of Troy is located in the west of Tevfikiye Village in the Centraldistrict of Çanakkale.
It is thought that Troy, located on the edge of a baywhere the Karamenderes (Skamender) and Dümrek streamsare poured, was very close to the sea in the first years of its settlement andgradually moved away from the sea due to the alluviums carried by the Karamenderes river.The city, which was destroyed by wars and natural disasters and rebuiltmany times for thousands of years, gradually lost its importance as a result ofits moving away from the sea and was abandoned.
Troy, which has become the subject of many movies, hasan important place in mythology besides its rich historical texture. The cityhas been the subject of Homer´s epic of Iliad and the Trojan War has become astory known in the minds.
In the region visited by archaeologists and travelerssince the 16th century, a hill where the city layers wereaccumulated due to the use of adobe as construction material in the houses wasformed as a result of the excavations.
The most magnificent megaron structures, which are theforerunners of ancient temples, are seen in Troy since 3,000 BC. In addition,masonry with cut stone technique has been found in Troy since 2500 BC, wheniron was not known yet.
Troy Museum
The new museum building, which was designed with amodern museology understanding, was named the "Troy Museum" and wasofficially opened in 2019. Today, the old Archeology Museum building in thecenter continues to serve as the Provincial Public Library.
The Troy Museum is located at the entrance of the Ancient City of Troy, whichwas included in the World Cultural Heritage List by UNESCO in 1998, within theboundaries of Tevfikiye Village of the Central District of Çanakkale Province.It has a 3,000 m2 exhibition hall and 11,200 m2 closed area.
In the Troy Museum, the life and archaeological history of Troy and itscultures, which left their mark in the Troas Region, which has gone down inhistory with Homer´s famous Iliad, are explained through the artifacts from theexcavations.
When visitors visit the museum, they follow a story divided into sevenheadings: The Archeology of the Troas Region is the Bronze Age of Troy, theEpic of the Iliad and the Trojan War, the Troas and Ilion in the AncientPeriod, the Eastern Roman and Ottoman Period, the History of Archeology, andthe Traces of Troy.
Visitors can reach each exhibition floor via the ramp. In the niches on thewalls of the ramp, different layers of Troy are described with tombstones,large sculptures, stage animations, and large size photographs. In thecirculation band, which is the entrance area of the museum, the science ofarcheology, archaeological and archaeometric dating methods, terms such as"neolithic, chalcolithic, bronze age, iron age, mound, restoration,conservation" are explained through diagrams, drawings, texts andinteractive methods in order to provide an orientation to the visitor beforethe ongoing exhibition floors.
The old Archeology Museum of Çanakkale building in thecenter continues to serve as the Provincial Public Library.
Tevfikiye Village / Archeo-village
Tevfikiye village, which is the closest settlement tothe ruins of Troy, is an archeo-village bearing traces of the unique history ofTroy and reflecting the spirit of the period with all its features.
The village has been organized in order to make thevisits to the Ancient City of Troy surround people with mythological, culturaland natural beauties and to provide them with the features of the Troy period,such as pleasant breaks during the trips, organic fruit and vegetable shopping.
57th Infantry Regiment Martyrdom
The 57th Infantry RegimentMartyrdom has been built on December 12, 1992. During the war,foreign soldiers called it "Chessboard". This martyrdom issymbolic and the real martyrdom is located in the Çataldere Valley,at the south end of Bomba Sırtı. The 57th Regiment isthe first of the Turkish forces to stand against the Anzac soldiers advancingon the Ariburnu Front and to repel them. In this front, the leadership andcourage qualities of Lieutenant Colonel Mustafa Kemal wereproven.
The 57th RegimentMartyrdom was made of of Kevser stone, which isgenerally used in Seljuk and Ottoman caravanserais.The entrance to the martyrdom is on the Kabatepe-Conkbayırı road.Directly opposite the entrance is a relief depicting the 57th Regiment´s counterattackon April 25, 1915.
Anzac Cove
Anzac Cove is regularly visitedby Australian and New Zealand citizens everyyear.
The cove, where Australian and NewZealand soldiers landed on April 25, 1915, is 600 meterslong. Tourists from Australia and New Zealand (ANZAC) cometo Çanakkale from thousands of kilometers each year tocommemorate their ancestors at the dawn ceremony in the morning.
Conkbayırı Monument
There are 3 Turkish monuments in Conkbayırı.The newest of these monuments is the bronze Atatürk statue,located right next to the New Zealand Monument. On the pedestalpart of the statue, the shrapnel piece that hit Colonel Mustafa Kemal´schest on August 10, 1915 and the incident of his survivalthanks to the clock in his pocket over his heart is told from his originalvoice.
It is one of the most violent and bloody fronts ofthe Gallipoli Campaign. 5 "memorial inscriptions" wereerected in the name of our martyrs and their heroism.
Çanakkale Epic Promotion Center
Çanakkale Epic Promotion Center wasput into service on June 7, 2012 in order to remember the ÇanakkaleCampaign, where unprecedented stories of heroism took place.
Three-dimensional demonstrations are made in two ofthe 11 different animation halls established with advanced simulationtechniques, and important parts of the Çanakkale Campaign are explained byusing mobile platforms in three separate rooms. The narration is made in sevendifferent languages (English, German, French, Russian, Japanese, Italian andArabic) for foreign visitors.
The exhibition hall consisting of two floorswhere materials and dioramas used inthe Çanakkale Campaign are exhibited, a library wherethe works published about the Çanakkale Campaign are collectedand a souvenir section are also located here.
The center includes a museum curation, which startedin 1914 due to the pre-war Ottoman state and how it was carried to the war,the story of the Nusrat Mine Ship, the Battle Plans of the AlliedPowers, the three-dimensional re-enactment of the heroism of SeyidOnbasi in Rumeli Mecidiye Bastion, Land Battles plans, which arenarrated on a three-dimensional map with images of wars of that period with aspecial technique, and animations demonstrating Mustafa Kemal´sconversation with a soldier at the front.
An exhibition area has beenestablished spread over two floors where objects such as weapons,tools, equipment, personal belongings and letters used in ÇanakkaleCampaign are exhibited. In the exhibition hall, memories and objectsfrom the Çanakkale Campaign are exhibited. In addition,reliefs depicting scenes from the Çanakkale Campaign decoratethe exhibition walls.
Çanakkale Epic Promotion Center is a first in theworld in terms of using film and hologram together.
Alexandreia Troas Ancient City
The city of Alexandreia Troas wasfounded in the name of Alexander the Great in 310 BC. The city developedeconomically in short time and became an important center. Due to its locationas a junction between Europe and Asia, it was evenplanned to be the capital of the Roman Empire.
Although similar thoughts were also predicted by EmperorConstantine, eventually İstanbul (Constantinapolis)was decided to be the capital of the Byzantine Empire.
The second revival of the city took place with Augustus,a Roman Emperor . Augustus got established acolony here for retired Roman soldiers in the middle of the 1st centuryBC and supported the city´s conversion into a Roman metropolis.
Another golden age of the city is in the 2nd centuryAD. Herodes Atticus from Athens, one of the richest people inthe ancient world, built an enormous Aqueduct extendingfrom Mount Ida to Alexandreia Troas.
To the east of the city is the Neandria Gate, whichhas a circular inner courtyard and a tower on each side and an enormous watergate, dating back to the 3rd century BC.
Saint Paulus began his journey tospread Christianity to Europe from this city port in the 52nd AD.It is known that Alexandreia Troas port was one of themost important gates to Europe at that time.
The big bath of the city was built together with thewaterway in 135 AD. The building, which was mostly standinguntil 1809, collapsed as a result of an earthquake. It is oneof the largest of the Roman Period Baths in Anatolia.
An enormous theater was built at the highestpoint of the city during the Hellenistic Period. The location of thetheater offers visitors an impressive view of the city, alongsidethe view of Neandria located on Cigri Mountain tothe east, Lesbos Island to the south, Tenedos(Bozcaada) to the west and Canakkale Strait (Dardanelles) tothe north.
Apollon Smintheion Ruins
In the Apollon Smintheus Sanctuary(Smintheion), remains of a prehistoric settlement dating to around 5,000 BCwere unearthed. The Temple of Apollo Smintheus is located in aregion called Bahçeleriçi.
This region, which is rich in water, is fed byunderground springs. The abundance of water in the region during theHellenistic era when the temple was built is a symbol of the Apollo cult.God Apollo always needed water to prophesy. It is though to bewhy the temple was established in this region.
The Apollo Smintheus Temple drawsattention with its architectural design and style, as well as the reliefsfrom Homer´s epic of Iliad. The temple, built in theIonian style in 150 BC, is the only example of its own today inthe Troas region in north-west Anatolia. Thetemple is characterized by the use of pseudodipteros (false two-rowcolumn) plan design applied by Hermogenes, who signed hisname to the Hellenistic Age Anatolian architecture.
Apollon Smintheion sanctuary is the second mostimportant sanctuary of Troas after Athena temple in Troy city. Its importance isthat it is the only example of the known Apollo cults in Anatolia with themouse symbol. Apollo Smintheus appears in the Troas region as a God protectingfarmers from mice.
Assos
Assos is an ancient coastal town located 87 km southof Çanakkale, within the boundaries of Behramkale Village of Ayvacık district.Aristotle, the famous philosopher of the Antiquity, lived for a period inAssos, which is known as a teaching center at the same time, and made importantresearches on zoology, biology and botany.
The ancient city, which has two entrances, East andWest, was built on an old volcano cone and consists of building-groups onterraces extending to the south.
A significant portion of the 4 km long wallssurrounding the city are still standing today. The Temple of Athena, located inthe Acropolis, is one of the oldest Doric temples in Anatolia built in theArchaic Age. The temple is a cultural synthesis of the two sides of the Aegeanas it architecturally reflects both Dor/Greek and Ionian/Anatolian characteristics.
Among these historical ruins in the acropolis, theTemple of Athena is the best place to watch the magnificent view of Edremit Bayat sunset. As you go towards the sea from here, you will see agora (bazaar),gymnasium (mental and physical education center) theater, bouleuterion (citycouncil building) and necropolis (ancient cemetery), respectively. A bigportion of the theater with a capacity of 4,000 spectators, where plays such astragedy and comedy were played in ancient times, has been preserved. Thebridge from the Ottoman period at the borders of Behramkale Village iscompletely standing and still in use.
Ayazma Spring Nature Park
The history of Bayramiç district, which includes theAyazma Spring Nature Park, dates back to the Kingdom of Troy. Although thesettlements in and around Bayramiç date back to a very early period, there arevery few ruins that have survived and can be seen.
Ayazma is the name given to the springs that areconsidered sacred by Orthodox Christians. This nomenclature continues to bevalid until today. The spring, which was named after the Ayazma Spring NaturePark, continues to be called Ayazma as it was named by Christians at the time.
Kazdağı-Ayazma forest recreation place is veryimportant for recreational tourism with its historical background, unique floraand fauna, having the highest oxygen rate after the Alps in the world and coldwaters.
Babakale
Babakale is affiliated to the Ayvacık district ofÇanakkale. Here is the farthest point of the Asian continent, which is thelargest continent in the world geographically.
Just like in Capo da Roca, where the Europeancontinent ends, it is possible to document your visit with a certificate atBabakale free-of-charge.
In Babakale, you can also visit Babakale Castle, the lastcastle built by the Ottoman Empire. Babakale is a place worth seeing with itsmagnificent view from the castle walls, the color of the sea and its historicaltexture.
Bozcaada
Located 4 nautical miles from the mainland (GeyikliPier), formerly known as Tenedos, today known as Bozcaada, it is like aparadise with its houses and streets preserving its old architectural texture,deep blue sea, calm beaches, hills with thyme scent, and vineyards wheredelicious wines are produced. This is an island that you can visit throughoutthe year to watch the sunset from the point where the wind roses and PolentosLantern are located at the westernmost end of the island, for hiking andcycling on its not very rough roads, kite-surfing at Çayır Beach, exploring theundersea in the bays, one of the most important diving spots of the Aegean Sea.
It is not known when and by whom the Bozcaada Castle,which attracts attention with its eight bastions and its majesty as itapproaches the island, was built, but it is known to have been used since theVenetian, Genoese and Byzantine periods.
There is an exhibition hall in the inner part of thecastle where historical and ethnographic artifacts related to Bozcaada areexhibited.
Gökçeada
It is possible to reach Gökçeada, which is about eighttimes the size of Bozcaada as the largest island in Turkey, by ferry fromKabatepe port. The island of Imroz, with its name used until 1970, has thetitle of "the last place where the sun sets" as it is the westernmostpoint of Turkey in the North Aegean. The island, with its history datingback to 7,000 BC, the artifacts found in the tumulus of the island and theuninterrupted settlement of the island, fascinates visitors with its oldvillage architecture, churches and cobblestone streets.
Gökçeada is an island that stands out with therichness of its natural life due to the diversity in its flora and fauna andthe abundance of water resources. Olive cultivation is a profession that datesback to ancient times. It is possible to see 300-400-year-old olive trees onthe island. With the transition to organic agriculture in recent years, thereis now a guaranteed naturalness apart from the taste of the olive oil producedon the island. Organic agriculture, which has been developing in recent years,plays an important role in the future of the island. There are many enterprisesselling organic products on the island.
Known as one of the cleanest seas in Turkey, Gökçeada´s beaches are ideal forswimming, diving and surfing. Long beaches and virgin bays await you,especially on the southern shores of the island. Gökçeada is considered to beone of the leading surf centers not only in Turkey but also in the world thanksto its windy climate and unique geographic structure. The surfing activty, whichhas come to life especially thanks to surfers from Europe, is developing day byday.
Zeus Altar
Homer mentions in the Iliad Epic that Gods lived onMount Ida and watched and ruled the Trojan War from there. It is also told inthis epic that Zeus, the King of Gods, lived here and watched and ruled thewar. Researchers working in the region also think that this high place, builton a hill overlooking the sea and Edremit Bay, belongs to Zeus, the king ofGods.
The area named as Zeus Altar on Dede Hill has beenformed by processing of the rock mass. This rock mass is accessed by laddersmade of carved steps. There are altar niches, sitting platforms and a cisternspace carved into it. This cistern, which has the size of a room under thealtar and contains water inside, is called Zeus Cave.
Right next to the ancient altar is the entombed saintof Erdem Dede, who participated in the Çanakkale Campaign. In its currentstate, the Zeus Altar and its surroundings continue to be a sacred area today.
Parion Ancient City
Parion is located in Çanakkale Province, BigaDistrict, Kemer Village.
Parion, as a coastal city of the Marmara Sea, isconsidered to be a city of Troas region, especially considering the dataobtained from the necropolis area. The ancient city of Parion is adjacent toimportant cities such as Lampsakos in the west, Priapos in the east and Skepsisin the south.
Eusebius said, that Parion was established in 709 BC.
Parion declared Parion, which was a member of theDelos Union in 478-477 BC, a colony city twice; the first time during theJulius Caesar or Augustus Period, and the second time during the HadrianusPeriod.
Parion, a city where Christian communities werelocated since the 2nd century AD, did not lose its importanceduring the Byzantine Period and became an important episcopal center.
In the odeion, which is one of the excavations inParion and is one of the important buildings of the city, the marble statue,which was unearthed during the excavations in 2012, is assumed to belong to thegoddess Artemis.