GALLIPOLI GAMES 2015
The ancient city of Troy was made famous in Homer’s poems, Iliad and The Odyssey. Iliad, one of the classics of Western literature, is set during the ten-year siege of the city of Troy, and it depicts the final 51 days. Troy was destroyed and rebuilt ten times, and still has ruins and legendary walls intact.
The famous ancient city was turned into a popular archaeological site and national park in 1996, and has been listed on the World Heritage List of UNESCO in 1998.
The ancient city of Assos, also known as Behramkale, is situated over a volcanic cone. The historical remains are situated at Acropolis (upper part of the town) and further south downhill.
The antique city of Assos is surrounded by eight towers - reaching 20 metres at times - and12 different gates, and walls which stretch about four kilometres.
The city has two main gates to its east and west. In front of the gates, there is the Nekropol cemetery. Situated on the highest point of the hill is the Athena temple, built in 540 BC, dedicated to the Goddess Athena. The city centre, Agora, sits on the southern slope of Assos. The northern stoa in Assos is a two-story building, while the southern stoa is four stories. The 3rd century BC theatre, which has been partially restored, holds 5,000 spectators.
While the Gallipoli Peninsula Historical Park carries the name of ‘Gallipoli’, it’s situated in the Eceabat district. It sits on the southern edge of the Gallipoli strait and the European shore of the Dardanelles across 33,000 hectares, covering most of the Eceabat district. It was founded in 1973 and is on the United Nations list of Parks and Protection Areas.
The Gallipoli peninsula is where the Çanakkale sea and shore battles occurred during the First World War. It contains sunken ships, guns, shields, castles, bastions and hundreds of other remains of the war. There are graves and memorials of more than 60,00 Turkish soldiers, and 250,000 soldiers from Australia, New Zealand, England and France.
The Mirror Bazaar, also known as the Halyo Market, is an enclosed bazaar in Çanakkale. In 1890, one of the leaders of the Jewish community, Eliyau Hallio, commissioned to build the bazaar. It also features in the historic ‘Seyahatname’ travel book written in the 17th century by Evliya Çelebi.
Saros is one of the ‘lucky’ bays able to escape being home to industrial production. It’s situation 150 kilometers from Edirne, and around 250 kilometers from Istanbul, and is becoming a popular summer holiday destination for tourists.
The heart of Çanakkale beats in its main square near the pier. This is where access to the crossing point of the Dardanelles is, which separates Europe from Asia. There is a Tourist Information Centre which assists visitors with all their needs.
The Republic Square is always a busy destination. The statue of Ataturk in the square was sculpted by Nejat Sirel in 1937, and is one of the few statues erected during Ataturk’s life. Another work of art in the square is the ceramic ‘Horse Head Mirror Jug’.
There are several museums in Çanakkale, which include: Çanakkale Archeology Museum, Çanakkale Sea Museum, Çanakkale City Museum and Archives, Çanakkale Ceramic Museum, and the Çanakkale Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s Çanakkale House.
Food in Çanakkale is within the Mediterranean kitchen, where olive oil is featured heavily. You can find traditional Çanakkale food at the restaurants in the historical market district. If you’re a fan of sweets, be sure to try the famous cheese halva. Fish dishes are also a distinct part of Çanakkale food. You can try various fish along the many restaurants on the coast.
The name of Çanakkale comes from the traditional craft “çanak ve çömlek”, which means pots and pans. Pots and pans feature heavily in the city. Çanakkale-made ceramic goods are popular in Turkish ceramic art. There are several ceramic works available for sale in the university’s pottery workshop, or several private pottery workshops in the city. In addition, you can also purchase from the city hand woven carpets and rugs, made in districts of Çanakkale.
The most popular shopping district of Çanakkale is the street of the bazaar. In addition to jewelers and retail outlets, banks are also located on this street.
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