Çanakkale is a city and seaport in

Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...

on the southern shore of the

Dardanelles The Dardanelles ( ; ; ), also known as the Strait of Gallipoli (after the Gallipoli peninsula) and in classical antiquity as the Hellespont ( ; ), is a narrow, natural strait and internationally significant waterway in northwestern Turkey th ...

at their narrowest point. It is the seat of

Çanakkale Province Çanakkale Province () is a province of Turkey, located in the northwestern part of the country. It takes its name from the city of Çanakkale. Its area is 9,817 km2, and its population is 559,383 (2022). Like Istanbul, Çanakkale province ...

and

Çanakkale District Çanakkale District (also: ''Merkez'', meaning "central") is a Districts of Turkey, district of the Çanakkale Province of Turkey. Its seat is the city of Çanakkale.İl Belediyesi
Turkey Civil Administration Departments Inventory. Retrieved 1 March 2023. Its population is 143,622 (2021). Çanakkale is the nearest major urban centre to the ancient city of

Troy Troy (/; ; ) or Ilion (; ) was an ancient city located in present-day Hisarlik, Turkey. It is best known as the setting for the Greek mythology, Greek myth of the Trojan War. The archaeological site is open to the public as a tourist destina ...

, which (together with the ancient region of the

Troad The Troad ( or ; , ''Troáda'') or Troas (; , ''Trōiás'' or , ''Trōïás'') is a historical region in northwestern Anatolia. It corresponds with the Biga Peninsula ( Turkish: ''Biga Yarımadası'') in the Çanakkale Province of modern Tur ...

) is also located inside

. The wooden horse from the 2004 film ''

'' is exhibited on the Çanakkale waterfront. Today Çanakkale is the main base for visits to the ruins of Troy and to the First World War cemeteries at

Gallipoli The Gallipoli Peninsula (; ; ) is located in the southern part of East Thrace, the European part of Turkey, with the Aegean Sea to the west and the Dardanelles strait to the east. Gallipoli is the Italian form of the Greek name (), meaning ' ...

. Particularly around 18 March and 25 April (

Anzac Day Anzac Day is a national day of remembrance in Australia, New Zealand and Tonga that broadly commemorates all Australians and New Zealanders "who served and died in all wars, conflicts, and peacekeeping operations" and "the contribution and ...

) when there are major celebrations of the events of the war the town is heavily visited.

Çanakkale Airport Çanakkale Airport is an airport in the city of Çanakkale, Turkey. History Total passenger traffic was 18,423 in 2009. The busiest days at the airport are 18 March and 25 April every year, both significant dates in Turkish history related to t ...

is from the city centre.

AnadoluJet AJet, formerly branded as AnadoluJet until 31 March 2024, is a Turkey, Turkish low-cost airline operating domestic flights as well as international flights to Northern Cyprus, Europe and Western Asia from its base at Sabiha Gökçen Internation ...

and

Borajet Borajet () was a privately owned Turkish airline based in Yeşilköy, Bakırköy, Istanbul operating domestic and international services. It suspended operations on 24 April 2017. History Early years The airline was founded in 2008 by Yalcin ...

have daily flights from Istanbul and

Ankara Ankara is the capital city of Turkey and List of national capitals by area, the largest capital by area in the world. Located in the Central Anatolia Region, central part of Anatolia, the city has a population of 5,290,822 in its urban center ( ...

. Intercity buses run to

Bursa Bursa () is a city in northwestern Turkey and the administrative center of Bursa Province. The fourth-most populous city in Turkey and second-most populous in the Marmara Region, Bursa is one of the industrial centers of the country. Most of ...

Istanbul Istanbul is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, constituting the country's economic, cultural, and historical heart. With Demographics of Istanbul, a population over , it is home to 18% of the Demographics ...

and

İzmir İzmir is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, third most populous city in Turkey, after Istanbul and Ankara. It is on the Aegean Sea, Aegean coast of Anatolia, and is the capital of İzmir Province. In 2024, the city of İzmir had ...

Name

Çanakkale was originally the site of an Ottoman fortress called ''Ḳalʿa-i Sulṭānīye'' (; ). From the late 17th century onwards it became known for its glazed

Çanakkale ceramics Çanakkale ceramics date back to the 17th century. They were born from Iznik ceramics, which were known as the pinnacle of the Turkish art of ceramics and very popular in the Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish E ...

, compared by the traveler

Richard Pococke Richard Pococke (19 November 1704 – 25 September 1765)''Notes and Queries'', p. 129. was an English clergyman and writer. He was the Bishop of Ossory (1756–65) and Meath (1765), both dioceses of the Church of Ireland. However, he is best kn ...

Delftware Delftware or Delft pottery, also known as Delft Blue () or as delf, is a general term now used for Dutch tin-glazed earthenware, a form of faience. Most of it is blue and white pottery, and the city of Delft in the Netherlands was the major cen ...

, hence the later name ''Çanak Kalesi'' "Pottery Castle". This was adopted as the official name for the town in 1890, although having already been in use a century earlier. The Greek-Byzantine name for Çanakkale was ''Dardanellia'', from which the English name

is derived. Many accounts by 19th-century visitors to the town refer to it as Dardanelles. From around 1920, the

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

began to call Çanakkale 'Chanak' and 'Kale Sultanie' in their reporting.

History

Prehistory and ancient history

The first inhabitants of the area lived on the

Biga Biga may refer to: Places * Biga, Çanakkale, a town and district of Çanakkale Province in Turkey * Sanjak of Biga, an Ottoman province * Biga Çayı, a river in Çanakkale Province * Biga Peninsula, a peninsula in Turkey, in the northwest part ...

Peninsula in the Last

Chalcolithic The Chalcolithic ( ) (also called the Copper Age and Eneolithic) was an archaeological period characterized by the increasing use of smelted copper. It followed the Neolithic and preceded the Bronze Age. It occurred at different periods in di ...

Age c. 6,000 years ago. However, very little is known about their identity and lifestyle. According to some excavations and research, the earliest settlements in the area were established at

Kumtepe Kumtepe is the oldest permanent settlement in the Troad, the region in northwestern Anatolia, where later Troy was built. Kumtepe has four layers, Kumtepe IA, IB, IC and II. The last two have been largely disturbed in the twentieth century. The rema ...

. Kumkale is thought to have been established in 4000 BC and

between 3500 and 3000 BC. Aeolian Greeks settled here in the 8th century BC and quickly established trading colonies. The region came under the control of the

Lydia Lydia (; ) was an Iron Age Monarchy, kingdom situated in western Anatolia, in modern-day Turkey. Later, it became an important province of the Achaemenid Empire and then the Roman Empire. Its capital was Sardis. At some point before 800 BC, ...

ns in the 7th century BC and under the control of the

Persia Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...

ns in the 6th century BC. Aeolis fell under the control of the

Ancient Macedonian army The Kingdom of Macedon possessed one of the greatest armies in the ancient world. It is reputed for the speed and efficiency with which it emerged from Greece to conquer large swathes of territory stretching from Egypt in the west to India in t ...

after

Alexander the Great Alexander III of Macedon (; 20/21 July 356 BC – 10/11 June 323 BC), most commonly known as Alexander the Great, was a king of the Ancient Greece, ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia (ancient kingdom), Macedon. He succeeded his father Philip ...

defeated the Persians beside the

Granicus River Granicus may refer to: * Granicus River, also called Biga River (Turkish: Biga Çayı) * Battle of the Granicus The Battle of the Granicus in May 334 BC was the first of three major battles fought between Alexander the Great of Macedonia (anci ...

in the

Battle of the Granicus The Battle of the Granicus in May 334 BC was the first of three major battles fought between Alexander the Great of Macedonia (ancient kingdom), Macedon and the Persian Achaemenid Empire. The battle took place on the road from Abydos (Hellespont ...

on his way to

Asia Asia ( , ) is the largest continent in the world by both land area and population. It covers an area of more than 44 million square kilometres, about 30% of Earth's total land area and 8% of Earth's total surface area. The continent, which ...

in 334 BC. The region came under the government of the Kingdom of

Pergamon Pergamon or Pergamum ( or ; ), also referred to by its modern Greek form Pergamos (), was a rich and powerful ancient Greece, ancient Greek city in Aeolis. It is located from the modern coastline of the Aegean Sea on a promontory on the north s ...

in the 2nd century BC. The western part of the Biga Peninsula where ancient Troy is situated used to be called

Troas Troas may refer to: Places * The Troad, historical name for a region in the northwestern part of Anatolia * Alexandria Troas, a Hellenistic and Roman city in Anatolia * Troaș, a village in Săvârșin Commune, Arad County, Romania * Troaș, a ri ...

(the Troad). The settlement of

Alexandria Troas Alexandria Troas ("Alexandria of the Troad"; ; , "Old Istanbul") is the site of an ancient Greek city situated on the Aegean Sea near the northern tip of Turkey's western coast, the area known historically as Troad, a little south of Tenedos (mo ...

was an important free port and trade centre in

Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of Roman civilization *Epistle to the Romans, shortened to Romans, a letter w ...

times. In the 2nd century AD, the region was attacked by

Goths The Goths were a Germanic people who played a major role in the fall of the Western Roman Empire and the emergence of medieval Europe. They were first reported by Graeco-Roman authors in the 3rd century AD, living north of the Danube in what is ...

from

Thrace Thrace (, ; ; ; ) is a geographical and historical region in Southeast Europe roughly corresponding to the province of Thrace in the Roman Empire. Bounded by the Balkan Mountains to the north, the Aegean Sea to the south, and the Black Se ...

. During the 7th and 8th centuries,

Arab Arabs (, , ; , , ) are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in West Asia and North Africa. A significant Arab diaspora is present in various parts of the world. Arabs have been in the Fertile Crescent for thousands of years ...

s hoping to attack

Constantinople Constantinople (#Names of Constantinople, see other names) was a historical city located on the Bosporus that served as the capital of the Roman Empire, Roman, Byzantine Empire, Byzantine, Latin Empire, Latin, and Ottoman Empire, Ottoman empire ...

passed through the strait several times and reached as far as

Sestos Sestos (, ) was an ancient city in Thrace. It was located at the Thracian Chersonese peninsula on the European coast of the Hellespont, opposite the ancient city of Abydos, and near the town of Eceabat in Turkey. In Greek mythology, Sestos is ...

Ottoman era

At the start of the 14th century, the

Karasids The Karasids or Karasid dynasty (; ), also known as the Principality of Karasi and Beylik of Karasi (''Karasi Beyliği'' or ''Karesi Beyliği'' ), was a Turkish Anatolian beylik (principality) in the area of classical Mysia (modern Balıkesir and ...

under Demirhan Bey controlled the Anatolian side of the strait. The

Ottomans Ottoman may refer to: * Osman I, historically known in English as "Ottoman I", founder of the Ottoman Empire * Osman II, historically known in English as "Ottoman II" * Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empir ...

first gained control of

in 1367. In 1462,

Mehmed II Mehmed II (; , ; 30 March 14323 May 1481), commonly known as Mehmed the Conqueror (; ), was twice the sultan of the Ottoman Empire from August 1444 to September 1446 and then later from February 1451 to May 1481. In Mehmed II's first reign, ...

had the Kale-I Sultaniye fortress built on the site now occupied by Çanakkale - it takes it names from the fact that one of the Sultan's sons had collaborated in its construction. Kale-I Sultaniye was built at the narrowest point of the Dardanelles and, together with the fort of Kilitbahir on the opposite side, provided effective in controlling traffic through the strait. The two forts were quickly dubbed "The Castles", and a town developed to the north-east of Kale-I Sultaniye. From the late 15th century onwards, Jewish refugees expelled from Spain settled in Çanakkale and formed a sizeable community which thrived by supplying local shipping with provisions and acting as consular agents for many European nations. Into the late 19th century the Jewish community adopted Spanish as their mother-tongue. Some 1,805 Jews were registered there in 1890, out of a population of 10,862, the rest being Muslims (3,551), Orthodox Greeks (2,577), Armenians (956) and assorted foreigners (2,173). J.M.Cook, ''The Troad:An Archaeological and Topographical Study,'' Clarendon Press Oxford 1973 p.53, and n.3.

Twentieth century

In 1915, during the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

Britain Britain most often refers to: * Great Britain, a large island comprising the countries of England, Scotland and Wales * The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, a sovereign state in Europe comprising Great Britain and the north-eas ...

and

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

attempted to secure the Dardanelles with a view to capturing Constantinople. What is known in the West as the Gallipoli Campaign, or the Dardanelles Campaign, is referred to as the Battle of Çanakkale () in Turkey. In March 1915 the

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...

failed to force the Dardanelles and suffered severe losses. In a series of operations, ''HMS Triumph'', ''HMS Ocean'', ''HMS Goliath'', ''HMS Irresistible'' and the French battleship '' Bouvet'' were all sunk. The French submarine ''

Joule The joule ( , or ; symbol: J) is the unit of energy in the International System of Units (SI). In terms of SI base units, one joule corresponds to one kilogram- metre squared per second squared One joule is equal to the amount of work d ...

'' and the Australian submarine '' AE2'' were also destroyed and several other important ships were crippled. Most of the damage was inflicted by mines, though a German U-boat and Turkish small craft also contributed. In 1920, the city was estimated to have a population of approximately 22,000. A busy

port A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as Hamburg, Manch ...

, it was a stopping point for vessels traveling through the strait, as it had been in the ancient past although the British who passed through described it as lacking good quality accommodation or resources. Goods exported from the port included

wine Wine is an alcoholic drink made from Fermentation in winemaking, fermented fruit. Yeast in winemaking, Yeast consumes the sugar in the fruit and converts it to ethanol and carbon dioxide, releasing heat in the process. Wine is most often made f ...

, hides,

pottery Pottery is the process and the products of forming vessels and other objects with clay and other raw materials, which are fired at high temperatures to give them a hard and durable form. The place where such wares are made by a ''potter'' is al ...

ceramic tile Tiles are usually thin, square or rectangular coverings manufactured from hard-wearing material such as ceramic, stone, metal, baked clay, or even glass. They are generally fixed in place in an array to cover roofs, floors, walls, edges, or ot ...

s and grain.

Attractions

In Çanakkale

In Çanakkale town the old Kale-i Sultaniye is now called ''Çimenlik Kalesi'' and is open to the public as a military museum and art gallery. It also contains a replica of the mine-layer ''Nusret'' who used to relay mines removed from the Dardanelles by the Allied forces during the First World War. A late 19th-century clocktower acts as a signpost for the older part of town where narrow streets are filled with bars, cafes and hotels. Also in this older part of the town is a relatively new ''Kent Müzesi'' (City Museum) which lays out the more recent history of the town. (The contents of the old Çanakkale Archaeology Museum have been moved to the new Troy Museum.) The most attractive part of town in the evenings is the wide waterfront promenade where the wooden horse created for the film ''

'' starring Brad Pitt and Orlando Bloom can be seen. Many cafes and restaurants line up here to take advantage of the view of the Dardanelles.

Around Çanakkale

Regular ferries pass back and forth between Çanakkale and Kilitbahir where the second castle that was built to guard the Dardanelles is open to visitors. All the tour operators in Çanakkale offer tours of the Gallipoli Battlefields and

, sometimes on the same day. It is easy to reach Troy by minibuses from Çanakkale, although exploring the battlefields without a private car is not so easy. In summer it is also easy to reach

Gökçeada Imbros (; ; ), officially Gökçeada () since 29 July 1970,Alexis Alexandris, "The Identity Issue of The Minorities in Greece And Turkey", in Hirschon, Renée (ed.), ''Crossing the Aegean: An Appraisal of the 1923 Compulsory Population Exchang ...

-one of two inhabited Aegean islands that belong to Turkey- by ferry from Çanakkale. In winter bad weather may prevent the ferries from sailing.

Çanakkale Ceramics

From the 17th century, Çanakkale appears to have had a thriving ceramics industry which seemed to have expanded as its competitors in İzmik and Kütahya went into decline. The produce of the kilns was, however, less sophisticated than that of the other two major centres, and by the late 19th century it appears to have been producing much pottery specifically aimed at the tourist market. Until recently the folksy quality of much Çanakkale ware, in particular its rather clumpy animal and plant-shaped pots, were tended to be sneered at. However, these same pieces are now very popular with collectors.

Climate

Çanakkale has a

Mediterranean climate A Mediterranean climate ( ), also called a dry summer climate, described by Köppen and Trewartha as ''Cs'', is a temperate climate type that occurs in the lower mid-latitudes (normally 30 to 44 north and south latitude). Such climates typic ...

(

Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...

: ''Csa'' or Trewartha: ''Cs'') with hot, dry summers and cool, humid winters. Winds are strong year long, particularly in winter months. Highest recorded temperature: on 1 August 2021
Lowest recorded temperature: on 2 February 1929

Education

Within the boundaries of the city there are 13 high schools and a college.

Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University (informally ''ÇOMÜ'') is a Turkish public research university located in Çanakkale province, near Gallipoli and its surrounding towns. It is a member of the Balkan Universities Network, the European Univers ...

has 12 faculties, four institutes, nine four-year college programs and 14 vocational schools and serves more than 52,000 students. Thirty percent of the city's population are college graduates.

Notable people from Çanakkale

Tevfik Rüştü Aras Tevfik Rüştü Aras (11 February 1883 – 5 January 1972) was a Turkish politician, serving as deputy and foreign minister of Turkey during the Atatürk era (1923–1938). Early years Aras was born in 1883 in Çanakkale. He graduated from th ...

(1883–1972), politician *

Zeynep Bastık Zeynep Bastık (born 8 July 1993) is a Turkish singer, songwriter, dancer, and actress. Life Her grandmother is of Albanian origin. Her family members are also musicians. Her mother was a folk dance teacher. At the age of fifteen she joined t ...

(born 1993), singer *

Nuri Bilge Ceylan Nuri Bilge Ceylan (; born 26 January 1959) is a Turkish director, screenwriter, photographer and actor. His film ''Winter Sleep (film), Winter Sleep'' (2014) won the Palme d'Or at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival, 67th Cannes Film Festival, while s ...

(born 1959), film director, screenwriter, film producer and photographer * Güney Dal (born 1944), writer * Metin Erksan (1929–2012), film director * Onur Tuna (born 1985), actor * Mustafa Tutkun (born 1972), activist

International relations

Canberra Canberra ( ; ) is the capital city of Australia. Founded following the Federation of Australia, federation of the colonies of Australia as the seat of government for the new nation, it is Australia's list of cities in Australia, largest in ...

, Australia *

Kerch Kerch, also known as Keriç or Kerich, is a city of regional significance on the Kerch Peninsula in the east of Crimea. It has a population of Founded 2,600 years ago as the Colonies in antiquity#Greek colonies, ancient Greek colony Pantik ...

, Ukraine *

Pardubice Pardubice (; ) is a city in the Czech Republic. It has about 92,000 inhabitants. It is the capital city of the Pardubice Region and lies on the Elbe River. The historic centre is well preserved and is protected as an Cultural monument (Czech Repub ...

, Czech Republic *

Pomezia Pomezia () is a municipality (''comune'') in the Metropolitan City of Rome Capital, Lazio, central Italy. In 2009 it had a population of about 60,000. History The town was built entirely new near the location of ancient Lavinium on land resultin ...

, Italy *

Osnabrück Osnabrück (; ; archaic English: ''Osnaburg'') is a city in Lower Saxony in western Germany. It is situated on the river Hase in a valley penned between the Wiehen Hills and the northern tip of the Teutoburg Forest. With a population of 168 ...

, Germany

References

Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition The ''Encyclopædia Britannica'' Eleventh Edition (1910–1911) is a 29-volume reference work, an edition of the ''Encyclopædia Britannica''. It was developed during the encyclopaedia's transition from a British to an American publication. So ...

''s.v.'' Dardanelles (town).

External links

Çanakkale Weather (in Turkish)

Çanakkale (in Turkish)

Çanakkale Haberleri (in Turkish)

Pictures of the town and sub-galleries to major sights

in Turkish known as the Çanakkale wars. {{DEFAULTSORT:Canakkale Populated coastal places in Turkey Aegean Sea port cities and towns in Turkey Fishing communities in Turkey Jewish communities in Turkey Çanakkale District Provincial municipalities in Turkey