ÇANAKKALE

On both sides of the wharf and on the waterfront.
Like in all seaside cities the criteria what sets the character of Çanakkale is the sea and its wharf. Either side of the waterfront from the jetty in Çanakkale have been set out to promote walking and entertainment. Stretching both ways from the car ferry wharf there are restaurants, bars, cafes and benches placed so one can look out over the sea or rest.
The area around the wharf and the waterfront is busy day and night.
Many of the restaurants on the waterfront feature a seafood menu. In season one can always find fresh fish in the restaurants.

The Clock Tower
One street back from the wharf there is a clock tower that is one of the symbols of the city. It was built in 1897 by an Italian, Emili Vitali tradesman and honorary consul of the time. There is a clock on each of the four sides of the tower, which was built from the local Ayvalık stone. The square shaped tower narrows slightly as it rises. The public fountain beneath it was built in 1889 by a wealthy Jewish resident of the town called Halyo..

Old Çanakkale
The two streets either side of the tower lead into the older districts of the city. Most of the old houses on these very narrow streets are either used as shops or cafes. There are small hans in the marketplace.
Once upon a time the famed Muriel Bazaar (Aynalı Çarşı or Mirror Bazaar) was in this region. The Muriel Bazaar, which was made famous in a well known song about Gallipoli Campaign, was built by Ilia Halyo in 1889 during the reign of Sultan Abdülhamit and was a replica of the famed Egyptian Bazaar in Istanbul. According to some accounts it was destroyed by shells from the British battleship Queen Elizabeth, which were fired at the defences around Çanakkale. The bazaar remained a ruin for some time after the war and later 14 shops that were not in keeping with the former styles were erected.

Çanakkale city tour

One can start a tour of Çanakkale from the Çimenlik Castle. The tour, which would follow a visit to the old district, would have as its first stop at the Turkish districts of Camii Kebir and Çay and a stop at the Fatih Mosque. Later one can see the Jewish district, the Victory Square, the Nedime Hanım Girls School,  the Tıflı Mosque, the Muriel Bazaar, the synagogue, the Anatolian Greek (Rum) district, school buildings, the Orta Mektep School, the Cumhuriyet Meydanı (Republican Square), the Public Gardens (Halk Bahçesi), the waterfront, the Clock Tower, Yalı and Fetvahane Streets and the Yalı Mosque.
The old district and the partly protected houses and streets are very pleasant but one can take a break at the Yalı Han, located off one of the streets leading from the Clock Tower. In the han, apart from a bookstore and several other shops, there is a coffee shop and if the weather is suitable you can even sit in the garden area which is very pleasant. The han is also the venue for a number of cultural activities in Çanakkale

The vicinity of Çanakkale

The Dardanos Tumulus

The tumulus is on the Izmir road in an area owned by the local university and the finds from the site are on display at the Çanakkale Archaeology Museum. However, there is not much for the amateur visitor to see. The site's importance lies in its having the traces of the oldest settlement known in Çanakkale.
The old name for Çanakkale, Dardanos, comes from this old city that was founded here but there are no other traces of it barring the tumulus. The Dardanos tumulus is one of the oldest in the world.

Fortresses, Batteries and Cemeteries for Martyrs

Çanakkale is renown for its numerous fortresses and castles built on the Asian shore of the Strait, usually with a matching fortification on the European side. The forts located on the Gallipoli Peninsula are covered in another chapter of this book. However, it is easy to visit some the batteries and cemeteries for martyrs on the Anatolian side of Çanakkale.

Nara Castle

Nara Castle is on the Anatolian side of the Strait, five kilometres to the north of Çanakkale. Construction on the fort was started in 1807, along with the Bigalı Castle on the European shore which is five kilometres from Eceabat, during the reign of Selim III. The fortifications were built to counter the threat of British warships passing through the Strait and sailing to İstanbul. Nara Castle was completed in the reign of Mahmut II.
The Nara Castle was built on the site of the ancient city of Abydos and the Bigalı Castle in the vicinity of ancient Sestos.
The fortifications at Nara consist of an ammunition warehouse, watchtower and similar constructions. The inner fortress consists of a round building with a radius of nine metres, the terrace of two metres wide walls, is 9.5 metres in height and 26 stairs. It was constructed so as its 20 embrasures faced out towards the sea. The interior of the fortress is formed by a series of domes with a radius of five metres. Nara castle is in a military zone.

Hasan Mevsuf martyrs cemetery

In the memory of the heroes who fell the Dardanos battery in the Allied naval attack of 18 March 1915, the names of the battery commander Üsteğmen Hasan and Teğmen Mevsuf were combining as the name of the cemetery for the martyrs, the Hasan Mevsuf Şehitliği. This cemetery is 12 kilometres from the city and was restored in 1990.
Other than this memorial, on the Anatolian side there are the Hastanebayırı and Kumkale cemeteries.

Kepez and Kepezaltı

The part of Çanakkale that is built out on the road leading towards İzmir is known as Kepez. The Kepezaltı region is on the shore of the Dardanelles and is a holiday resort for Çanakkale. The villas and holiday houses that are now occupied in both summer and winter stretch along the seaside. The only five star hotel in Çanakkale is located here at Kepez.

The Güzelyalı seaside

Apart from its historical riches, the clean waters of the Strait also make Çanakkale a holiday resort. For those who come to stay in town for culture and commemoration days or simply to visit to National Park there are many hotels of various standards starting at four star and below. At Güzelyalı, ten minutes drive from the city centre, some 12 kilometres, there are facilities catering for tourism and long sand beaches. Güzelyalı has regular minibuses running to it all summer. With its almost constant breezes, the summer heat does not suffocate one. These winds are also very suitable for windsurfing.

Picnic areas

Around Çanakkale there are many areas for that would make for a lovely picnic. The Balaban Çeşmesi (fountain), located 38 kilometres from the city on the road to Çan, is one of these. Well known for its goat and lamb on the spit, it also has a place in history, with Atatürk and Şah Pehlevi, they have drinked coffee in 1934. The restaurant also serves alcohol. The nearby fountain is also called the Gazi fountain after Atatürk, Gazi being one of his titles meaning veteran or hero. You can try the restaurant from early May to late September and enjoy a nice meal. If you go through Çanakkale without having a break, 15 kilometres along the İzmir road there is the İntepe Kır Gazinosu where you can have stop for a meal and take in the views. Reflect on the wars from Troy to Gallipoli while viewing the blue-green waters of the Dardanelles. You can take a break at picnic spots along the road to Kepez and in the Erenköy forest.
As we have mentioned Çanakkale is a city of history. The two turning points in history here were the Trojan War and the Gallipoli Campaign. Of course, in the recent years some historians have written that there were no Trojan Wars and that this was a product of the imagination of Homer. This is just a theory and time will show us the truth.