Canakkale

Canakkale (pronounced chaa-nak-kaa-leh) is a city in the Marmara Region of Turkey

Culture and History

The city is located on the south bank of Canakkale Bogazi Strait and is 320 km from Istanbul, 325 km from Izmir and 653 km from Ankara..

History

The city was called "Hellespontos" or "Dardanelles" in ancient times, and there has been evidence of a settlement in the Canakkale area since B.C. 3000. As the city is located near the Canakkale Strait, one of the two major water passages connecting the Mediterranean and Black Sea, the area is rich in history and culture. The site of the historical city of Troy is close to Canakkale.

During World War 1, Canakkale and the Canakkale Strait was the stage of a year-long battle between the United Kingdom, France and the Ottoman Empire. From April 1915 to January 1916, a joint British and French operation was mounted to capture the Ottoman capital of Constantinople (now Istanbul). The attempt failed, but not without heavy casualties on both sides.

Travel to Canakkale - Visa Requirements

Buses to Canakkale

There are buses from Istanbul at any time, day or night. Just go to otogar, and look for 'Canakkale' signs on the windowpanes of bus company offices. The busy Canakkale bus station also has several daily connections with most major Turkish destinations, such as Edirne and Izmir.

By car

Either from the Anatolia (Asian part of Turkey) or the European side; the only way to get to Canakkale is by motorway. However, some private companies plan to arrange a flight schedule between Istanbul and Canakkale in the near future.

By boat

Passengers from Istanbul must be aware that, under bad weather conditions, the sea-traffic in the strait is limited or cancelled, and crossing the strait may become impossible.

Tours and Getting around Canakkale

Canakkale tourist attractions and sightseeing

• Archaeological Museum (Arkeoloji Müzesi) – on the highway to Izmir, it takes about 30 minutes to reach there from the harbour on foot, to go by minibuses is also possible.

• Troy (Truva or Troya in Turkish) – an archaeological site about 30 km away.
• Abydos. an ancient city where the story of Hero and Leander takes place 

Canakkale city tours

Canakkale souvenirs and shopping

Canakkale Restaurants: cheap, moderate and expensive

One thing not to miss while in Çanakkale is atom, which is the usual döner in half a bread plus an omelette added in. There are lots of buffets making it in the cluster of shops located just across the street from ferry harbor. Totally local, so don't expect to find it in anywhere else.

• Peynir Helvasi. a special dessert made of cheese, yolk, semolina and sugar. Husmenoglu is a patisserie famous with that dessert 

Canakkale nightlife, bars, clubs and pubs

Canakkale cheap and luxurious hotels, youth hostels and lodging

• Otel Efes, Fetvane Sokak 5, ☎ +90 285 217 3256. Small, clean and friendly hotel close to the ferry terminal. The owner has hosted the hotel over 20 years, all by herself!20 ytl.  

Budget

• Anafartalar Hotel, İskele Meydanı 17100. Tel:+90 286 217-4454
• Anzac House, Cumhuriyet Meydanı N:61 17100. Tel:+90 286 213-5969

Mid range

• Kolin Hotel, Kepez 17100. Tel:+90 286 218-0808
• Akol Hotel, Kayserili Ahmet Paşa cad. Kordonboyu. Tel:+90 286 217-9456
• Buyuk Truva Hotel, Cevatpaşa mah.M.Akif Ersoy cad.No:2. Tel:+90 286 217-1024

Splurge

Get out

• Gokceada (Imbros) and Bozcaada (Tenedos) – two of the biggest islands of Turkey, also the only significant Turkish islands in the Aegean Sea, are nearby.

• Gallipoli is on the opposite banks of Dardanelles Strait.

• Assos (also known as Behramkale; about 100 km to south) is a historically-important, pleasant seaside village.

This page was last edited by Wikitravel user Vidimian. Based on work by Sal Uryasev and Cuneyt, Wikitravel user(s) Ladygroove and WindHorse and Anonymous user(s) of Wikitravel. - Content on this page is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 1.0 license