Although these two historic battles took place thousands of years apart, their battle grounds are only a few kilometers away from each other. The Trojan War and WWI’s Gallipoli campaign both occurred along the Dardanelles Strait. This was a coveted, strategic spot in both battles because of its location between the Mediterranean Sea and Sea of Marmara which leads to the Black Sea.
Troy
Famous for the story of the Trojan War told in Homer’s Iliad among others, Troy was a must-see spot on our travels in Turkey. The legend begins when the Queen of Sparta was kidnapped by Paris, of Troy. The King of Sparta asked for the help of his brother Agamemnon, King of Mycenae to bring Helen back to Sparta. Agamemnon, along with well known heroes Achilles, Odysseus, Nestor and Ajax, crossed the Aegean Sea to Achaens land to retrieve Helen.
The Trojan War lasted 10 long years. Each side made gains only to lose those gains in the next battle. The Spartans were never able to breach the fortified wall of Troy and overcome the formidable city. The Trojans had help from other sources such as the famed Thracian warriors. In the process their beloved, seemingly untouchable warrior Achilles was killed in the battle. After a frustrating decade of war the Spartans set up a ruse. They made it look like they retreated by sailing away. Instead of going home though, they hide their ships behind Bozcaada Island and left behind a gift. A large wooden horse was left in front of the gates of Troy. Not being able to contain their curiosity, the Trojans brought the horse inside the city walls. Unknown to them, the wooden horse was crammed full of Spartan warriors. The warriors waited for nightfall when they could make their surprise attack. They jumped out of the horse and successfully overtook the unsuspecting people of Troy.
Another less interesting version is that the city if Troy was very wealthy and the King of Sparta wanted it for himself and the war was not about Helen at all.
The site of Troy is about a lot more than just the Trojan War. Surrounded by fertile land, Troy was a very popular place to settle as early as 3000 BCE. Today Troy is filled with partial walls of homes, palaces, temples and roads; remnants of those ancient inhabitants
The interesting thing in Troy is that each successive civilization built on top of the buildings of the previous occupants. As you walk beside the ruins you can see the different layers of construction, getting progressively more sophisticated over time. The buildings from the earliest settlers, Troy I, were made of clay which degraded so there are not many remains from them. The next generation, Troy II, used mud fired bricks. Each successive civilization were more and more advanced.
Archeologists have labeled the layers as Troy I-IX . Troy I dates to 3000 BCE with the Hittite Empire and IX from Romans in 1st Century AD. The famous story of the Trojan War occurred during Troy VII in the 12th or 13th centuries BCE. Many bloody weapons and armory were found in Troy VII layer.
The replica Trojan Horse at the museum was in very poor condition and when we were there it was completely disassembled. The funny part is that the replica was only built in 1973 so lasted a much shorter time period than the fortress it conquered. Another replica horse is in the nearby city of Çanakkale. This one was built for the movie Troy and was donated to the city after the filming.
Getting to Troy
Minibuses leave Çanakkale from Cumspsxari Otobus Duragi on Atatürk Cd, under the bridge. They are destined for the town of Tevfikiye. You can get off either at the archaeological site or a kilometer up the road at the museum. Buses leave at 8:00, 9:30, 11:30, 1:30, 3:30, 6:00 and return at 9:00, 11:00, 1:00, 3:00 and 6:00.
Gallipoli
Across the Dardanelles Strait from Çanakkale is Gallipoli Peninsula. In WWI the peninsula was the site of brutal battles between the Allied British Commonwealth and French against the German aligned Ottoman. The British wanted to get its battleships into Dardanelles Straits where they could reach Istanbul and eventually the Black Sea. They thought they could easily overcome the Ottoman Empire and a put quick end to the war.
The nine-month battle resulted in over 100,000 dead and almost half a million wounded on both sides. In the end, the Allied forces were forced to retreat having gained nothing and lost many lives.
There are several memorials on both sides of Gallipoli Peninsula. Near the port city of Eceabat is a re-creation of a typical battle site. During the war, trenches were built as close as 8 m apart. Apparently no one survived on either side and yet both sides still sent soldiers there. The re-creation really demonstrates how horrendous this must have been for these soldiers.
Most of the monuments along the strait are memorials that celebrate the Ottoman, especially Atatürk. He is considered the Father of modern day Turkey and was an Ottoman war commander during Gallipoli. On the other side of the peninsula are memorials and cemeteries for the French and Commonwealth soldiers but you need to have a car or join a tour to visit those.
Dardanelles Strait is still a busy waterway. We saw many large shipping vessels moving cargo up and down the strait. As we walked along the shore, there were quite a few fishermen, and for the first time in Turkey, many were fisherwomen.
At the far end of the peninsula is the Ottoman built Kilibahir Castle. It is very large and imposing, but at the same time it is also very aesthetic. Its rounded bastions add a different element to its large rampart walls. The 15th century castle had a strategic position located at the strait’s narrowest section. Together with Çimenlik Castle on the other side, they protected the important shipping route through Dardanelles Strait.
The castle has been restored so when you walk around the tall, stone walls you can appreciate its size. The largest feature is the 7-story tower, where you can climb up to the 5th floor.
In a field across from the castle are Namazgah Bastions. In the late 1700s a Hungarian engineer helped the Ottomans build the sheltered battery. It was expanded and used through the late 1800s. Only two of the guns from this artillery were used in WWI. As a result only 33 shells were fired from the fort during the war.
Getting to Gallipoli
Ferries take cars and passengers from Çanakkale destined for either Eceabat at one end of the island, or Kilibahir right across from the city. Most of the Allied Memorial Gallipoli sites are best reached by car or tour.
Çanakkale
The closest city to visit Troy and Gallipoli is Çanakkale. There’s not a lot to do in the city but it has a nice boardwalk along Dardanelles Strait lined by cafes and restaurants.
If you like sitting and drinking tea or coffee, this is the city for you. Almost every cafe on the waterfront is a tea and coffee shop. On a random Monday afternoon in October, the cafes were packed with coffee and tea drinkers. If you don’t want coffee, the pubs are located a few blocks away. They were also always busy.
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Coming Next – Top Sites to Visit in Turkey
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