Çanakkale and the Dardanelles Strait

Çanakkale is both a city and a province in the northwest of Türkiye, sitting where the Aegean Sea opens into the Sea of Marmara. Its character comes from the Dardanelles Strait, the narrow channel that divides Europe from Asia and has carried ships, traders and travellers between the Mediterranean and the Black Sea for millennia.

A Waterway Between Two Continents

The Dardanelles, called Çanakkale Boğazı in Turkish, stretches for about sixty kilometres and narrows to roughly one kilometre at its tightest point. Its currents are strong and its depth varies, which makes navigation demanding for the vessels that pass through it daily. The European shore belongs to the Gallipoli Peninsula, while the Asian shore opens onto the Troad, the older name for the land around ancient Troy. Together they form a landscape of low hills, olive groves, vineyards and small fishing harbours.

Ancient Troy and the Troad

South of the strait lies one of the most celebrated archaeological sites in the world. The mound of Hisarlık, near the village of Tevfikiye, is identified with Troy, the city of Homer's Iliad. Excavations have revealed nine main settlement layers built one above the other, spanning the Bronze Age and later periods. The site was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1998. Further along the coast, the ruins of Assos, Alexandria Troas and other ancient cities show how densely settled this corner of Anatolia once was.

The Gallipoli Peninsula

On the European side, the Gallipoli Peninsula is protected as a historical national park. Pine forests, sandy coves and steep cliffs along the Aegean coast contrast with the quiet memorial grounds that recall the 1915 Gallipoli campaign. Monuments, cemeteries and trenches are maintained with care, and visitors from Australia, New Zealand, Türkiye and beyond come to walk the trails and reflect on the events that took place here. Today the peninsula is a peaceful place of olive trees, open views and small coastal villages.

Castles, Ferries and City Life

The city of Çanakkale spreads along the southern bank of the strait. Ottoman fortresses guard both sides: Çimenlik Castle within the city and Kilitbahir Castle opposite it, both built to control passage through the narrows. The waterfront promenade, the old bazaar known as Aynalı Çarşı and the archaeological museum give the city a relaxed rhythm. Ferries link Çanakkale with Kilitbahir and Eceabat on the peninsula, and also with Lapseki and Gelibolu further north.

Islands and Coastal Villages

• Bozcaada (Tenedos), with its small harbour, stone houses, windmills and vineyards
• Gökçeada (Imbros), the largest island of Türkiye, known for rolling hills and quiet beaches
• Assos (Behramkale), where the Temple of Athena stands on a rocky headland above the Aegean
• Babakale, the westernmost point of the Anatolian mainland, with a small Ottoman fortress

Local Flavours and Seasonal Landscapes

Food in the region follows the sea and the fields. Ezine cheese, olives and olive oil, fresh fish and the sardines caught in the strait are part of everyday cooking, alongside tomatoes, grapes and wine from Bozcaada. In spring, wildflowers and poppies cover the Gallipoli hills; summer brings warm swimming water along the Aegean coast; autumn is grape harvest time; and winter winds sweep across the olive groves and the higher slopes of Kaz Dağı, the mountain known in mythology as Mount Ida.