Türkiye
Canakkale, Turkey
Çanakkale: Gateway to Troy and Gallipoli on the Dardanelles
Çanakkale has stood guard over the narrows of the Dardanelles since Ottoman times, and today it is a busy student and port town. Most visitors use it as a base for ancient Troy and the 1915 battlefields, neither of which is in the city itself, so plan how you will get there before the ship arrives. Turkish law requires you to carry photo ID.
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Good to know
Arriving in Çanakkale
Ships calling at Çanakkale may berth at Kepez, a seaside town with its own port a few kilometers south of the city center. Your cruise line will confirm where your ship docks and how best to reach the center.
- The city stands on the Asian shore of the Dardanelles, facing the Gallipoli peninsula on the European side.
- Once you are in the center, most places are within walking distance of each other, and the waterfront promenade runs past the main sights.
- Car ferries cross the strait to Eceabat and Kilitbahir from the ferry port in the center.
- There are plenty of cash machines near the ferry pier. Turkey's currency is the lira.
Çanakkale on Your Own
Once you are in the center, Çanakkale's waterfront is the easy part of an independent day: the horse from the film Troy, the naval museum in the old castle and the cafés all line the shore. Troy and the Gallipoli battlefields are farther out, and without a car a local tour is the simplest way to reach them.
- The Trojan horse: The horse built for the 2004 film Troy stands on the waterfront promenade.
- Naval Museum: In the gardens of Çimenlik Castle, the old Ottoman fortress, cannons from the battles for the strait are on display. A British shell fired on 18 March 1915 is still lodged, unexploded, in the castle's north wall, and a replica of the minelayer Nusret is moored nearby.
- The old town: A clock tower from the late 19th century marks the start of the narrow older streets, with cafés, bars and small hotels.
- Across the strait: A short ferry ride takes you to Kilitbahir, whose fortress, the lock of the sea, faces the city from the European shore.
- Troy: Minibuses to Troy leave from near the Atatürk Bridge in the city, but only every couple of hours, so for a single day a tour or taxi is simpler.
- Carry ID: It is illegal not to carry photo ID in Turkey, and the authorities may ask to see it, so carry your passport.
- Watch the clock: All-aboard is given in ship's time, which may not match the local clocks or your phone.
- Getting back on time: All-aboard is usually about 30 minutes before sailing, and your ship posts the exact time. A ship will not wait for passengers touring on their own.
Food and Drink
Çanakkale's own sweet is peynir helvası, a warm dessert made with unsalted cheese and sugar. The other local favorite is bomba, döner meat in half a loaf of bread with an omelette inside.
- Restaurants and cafés gather around the ferry pier and along the waterfront, with the main cluster west toward the Naval Museum on Yalı Caddesi.
- The wide waterfront promenade, with cafés facing the strait, is at its best in the evening.
Tipping in Turkey
Tipping in Turkey is not obligatory, but it is common to leave something in a restaurant if you are happy with the service. Some restaurants add their own service charge, so check the bill first.
- Taxi drivers do not expect a tip, though people often let them keep the change.
- The currency is the Turkish lira. Shops aimed at tourists often accept euros and US dollars, but usually at a worse rate.
Remembrance and Pottery
In Turkey the fighting of 1915 is known as the Battle of Çanakkale, and the city marks its anniversaries; around 18 March and 25 April, Anzac Day, it is heavily visited. Çanakkale means pottery castle, a name that came from the glazed ceramics the town became known for.
- The name Çanakkale became official in 1890, though it had been in use for about a century before that.
- Collectors seek out Çanakkale pottery, including the animal- and plant-shaped pots that were long dismissed.
- Jewish refugees from Spain settled here from the late 15th century, and their community still spoke Spanish into the late 19th century.
- Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University gives the city a large student population.
A Brief History
People have crossed the Dardanelles here since antiquity, and the modern city grew up beside an Ottoman fortress built to command the strait. In 1915 the strait was the scene of an Allied attempt to break through to Constantinople that ended in failure.
- Troy: Troy, about 30 km south of the city, was first settled around 3600 BC and rebuilt many times, leaving nine main layers. Frank Calvert and Heinrich Schliemann began digging at Hisarlık in 1871, and the site became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1998.
- Antiquity: Aeolian Greeks settled the region in the 8th century BC, and Alexander the Great crossed into Asia and defeated the Persians at the Granicus River in 334 BC. The Greek name of the town here, Dardanellia, gave the strait its English name.
- 15th century: Sultan Mehmed II had the fortress of Kale-i Sultaniye built at the narrowest point of the strait, with Kilitbahir facing it, and a town grew up beside it.
- 18 March 1915: British and French battleships tried to force the strait. Several were sunk or crippled, most of them by mines.
- 25 April 1915: Allied troops landed on the Gallipoli peninsula. After eight months of fighting, with heavy losses on both sides, they were withdrawn in January 1916.
- 2018: The Troy Museum opened near the archaeological site, and the contents of Çanakkale's old archaeology museum moved there.
- 2022: The 1915 Çanakkale Bridge, the longest suspension bridge in the world, opened across the Dardanelles near Gelibolu and Lapseki.
- To learn more ashore: The Naval Museum, in Çimenlik Castle on Çimenlik Sokak, covers the defense of the strait and the battles of 1915.
Çanakkale with Children
Çanakkale works well with children because its best-known sights are along the waterfront promenade, and the giant film horse is an easy first stop. Save Troy and Gallipoli for children old enough to enjoy the stories behind the ruins and memorials.
- Younger children: Near the ferry pier, on Cumhuriyet Boulevard, stands a cannon used in the 1915 battle, an easy stop on a walk along the promenade.
- School age: At the Naval Museum, look for the unexploded shell in the castle wall and the replica minelayer. The Troy Museum, near the site, uses dioramas and interactive displays.
- Teenagers: A guided visit to the Gallipoli battlefields across the strait, or the ferry to Kilitbahir, whose fortress has an exhibition on life inside it and an audio guide.
- On the water: The strait has strong currents and heavy shipping, so do not swim in it.
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