Canakkale is a pleasant town and seaport located on the southern shore of the Dardanelles Strait, in Turkey. It is a major historical site, which figures prominently in mythology, as well as in ancient and modern history. It has battlegrounds from at least two wars and ruins dating back thousands of years.
This port city is beautiful in all seasons and it boasts lush greenery, wide beaches, nostalgic ruins and mouthwatering cuisine.
A Little Bit of History
This city is one among the oldest places settled in Turkey and it witnessed many civilizations due to its unique geographic location.
Trojan Horse, Canakkale
The Greeks settled here in the eighth century BC and they established trading colonies at Aeolis.
Later on it survived under different rulers like the Lydians, Persians, Macedonians, Kingdom of Pergamon, Romans, Goths and Ottomans.
During the First World War, Britain and France made an attempt to capture the Ottoman capital to secure a sea route to Russia.
Canakkale and the strait were the stage of a year-long battle, but the Royal Navy was repulsed by the Turkish forces and many crafts were sunk by them.
The City of Canakkale
This port was an Ottoman fortress and it was called Kale-I Sultaniye. It later became famous for its pottery and got the name Canak Kalesi, meaning “Port Fortress”.
Canakkale is a city with many local heroes like Corporal Seyit Ali, Sergeant Yahya and thousands of Turkish soldiers.
Tahir Musa, Metin Erksan, Ali Teoman Alpay and Ibrahim Bodur are some of the notable people from Canakkale.
The View of Gallipoli Peninsula, the WWI battlefield
International Canakkale Troy Festival, Bayramic Ayazma Festival, Lapseki Cherry Festival, Bozcaada Wine Festival and Gokceada Film Festival are some of the popular events of Canakkale.
This region is famous for its ceramic pottery, olives and olive products.
Where is Canakkale?
- 193.8 miles/ 312 km from Istanbul, Turkey
- 193.2 miles/ 311 km from Izmir, Turkey
- 123.6 miles/ 199 km from Balikesir, Turkey
- 128.6 miles/ 207 km from Corlu, Turkey
- 1.1 miles/ 1.9 km from Canakkale Airport, Turkey
- 188.8 miles/ 304 km from Istanbul Ataturk Airport, Turkey
- 221.2 miles/ 356 km from Sabiha Gokcen International Airport, Turkey
- 210 miles/ 338 km from Izmir Adnan Menderes Airport, Turkey
- 267.8 miles/ 431 km from Burgas Airport, Bulgaria
Things to See
- Dardanelles
- Trojan Horse
- Naval Museum
- Archeological Museum
- Cimenlik Castle
- Town Square
- Monument of WWI Cannon
- Cannakale Pot
- Activities: Scuba diving in the tranquil waters of Gokceada and Saros, and diving to the shipwrecks in the Saros Bay are highly enthralling.
Beaches
- Guzelyali Beach
- Kabatepe Beach
- Assos Beaches
- Bozcaada Beaches (some of the most popular are the Ayazma cove, Sulubahce cove and Habbeli cove)
Excursions
- Troy
- Assos
- Gallipoli
The sprawling and busy harbor town of Canakkale is the most frequent stopover for people who want to visit the battlefields and memorial sites.
It is also a good base for visiting the ruins of Troy and Gallipoli.
We wish you a fantastic Mediterranean cruise!
