If you are in a peaceful environment, where the turbulence of the sea sounds is like a melody to your ears and you sometimes think of your beloved ones, past and future days in the face of an exquisite landscape, then you are in Çanakkale.

If you are from Çanakkale or if you have been living in Çanakkale for a long time, many friends, relatives or tourists who come to this city and say that; this city is the place to live in, and you witness that they ask themselves; I wonder if how long I can stay and settle in this city for a long time. As a matter of fact, those many people who come to the city center, pay visit, and spend a few days here establish a tie of affection with Çanakkale city and surely come again to live or visit it someday.

When you come to Çanakkale, starting your day with a pleasant waterfront walk in the early morning hours; coming by in big or small places throughout the waterfront, and sipping your tea and coffee in the tea houses that were about to be fading into oblivion; and enjoying the fantastic view will make you feel very well.

While you have already been walking on the waterfront, you may visit the Çanakkale House, which hosts seasonal exhibitions, and then the Clock Tower, which was built in 1897 by the Italian Consul Emilio Vitalis within the heart of the city center during the reign of Abdelhamid II, and take a nice photo right in front of it. After a small break at the Clock Tower, you may go to the City Museum, which hosts exhibitions and events for the history and culture of the city, and to the Mansion (Yalı) Mosque, which has a square-planned, with a composite roof, 100-150 meters away from the tower and directly opposite the museum.

ere ev sahipliği yapan Kent Müzesi’ne ve hemen müzenin karşısında bulunan kare planlı, karma çatılı Yalı Camii’ye gidebilirsiniz.  

Çanakkale is not only a city known with its natural and cultural values, but also is a place, which has enshrined in hearts, with its historical and sentimental values. It is the values being in a harmony what makes Çanakkale that much attractive. Seagulls flying over the sea while walking on the waterfront or seaside; ships passing through the Dardanelles; there will be a feeling of a glow of emotions, which surrounds you, when you head up a little bit and look at the opposite collar, while you have been watching the color games at sunset; it is the emotion, of which surround the people, the gratitude and thankfulness to the martyrs whom we share the same sky together; what is felt, and what will always be felt…

Not only in Eceabat, but in many other districts of Çanakkale, this city hosts the values ​​that remind us of history. Indeed, after visiting the Clock Tower, City Museum and Mansion Mosque, the Çanakkale Naval Museum and Green (Çimenlik) Castle located on Mansion Street must definitely be among the places that shall be visited. The Green Castle, formerly known as Kala-i Sultaniye, was built in 1462 by Mehmet the Conqueror in order to increase the security of Istanbul. During the visit you paid here, you will have the chance to closely see many military objects, which are used in the Battle of Çanakkale, and when you even touch some of them, you will get the feeling that have been traveling back in time.

If you want to take a short break after visiting the Clock Tower, City Museum, Mansion Mosque, Çanakkale Naval Museum and Green Castle, do not forget that there are tea houses beachfront the Dardanelles; depending of your preference, order your drink right away and get your energy to set out to the side streets where you can feel the harmony of multiculturalism.

It is the time to hit the road again after a short break. If you lean your back on the seaside and walk across the street in the opposite direction of the sea; of course, if you are not taken yourself with the shops on the right and left of the road line, you will be able to reach the Aynalı Bazaar, which has been the legendary beauty subjected to folk songs, after a 4-5 minute of short walk. According to Evliya Çelebi's book entitled ‘Itinerary (Seyahatname)’, it is under the consideration that the name of this structure, whose existence is mentioned in the book, does not refer to the mirrors we use in our daily life, but refers the horse glasses, which were formerly sold in this bazaar.

The Tıflı Mosque, which is on the Bazaar Street and almost confronts the Aynalı Bazaar, is another historical value that should be taken into consideration on the exploration route for the city center. The inscription on the northwest wall states that the mosque was built in 1891 during the reign of Sultan Abdelhamid II.

The Tıflı Street, which is one of the streets parallel to the Bazaar Street, hosts the Koffman Library that was considered to be built around 1890 and had special family books and numerous donated books on archeology by the former president of Troy Excavation Committee Dr. Manfred Osman Korfmann and the family of Professor Dr. Hans Jucker-Dr. Ines Jucker-Scherer. You may wish to stop by here before your visit to the ancient city of Troy and get information about this ancient city and the excavations which have been carried out so far.

In the city center, which is filled with the different cultural backgrounds; including the Tıflı Mosque and the Korfmann Library, there are the Surp Kevork Armenian Church on Victory Square and the Mekor Hayim Synagogue, which are called among the cultural assets of the province, on the Old Synagogue (Havra) Street. These historical buildings are among the cultural assets that can be included in the route within the scope of the city center route.

Another cultural asset that should be considered on the exploration route of the city center before departing through the ancient city of Troy; it should be the historical building which was used as a military private bathhouse after it was built in 1904 and started to operate as the Ceramic Museum in 2013.

You may finish the journey that started in the early hours of the morning with the tranquility of the sea on the waterfront, accompanied by an exquisite sunset in the New Waterfront, the construction of which was completed more recently than the other. While you are on the way to New Waterfront through the Yellow Creek (Sarıçay) Bridge, you may stop by the Hamidiye Bastions, which was built by Marshal Asaf Pasha on Aziziye Street in the late 19th century, and may add the museum in the bastion to your city center route as the last program of the day.

Immediately after your journey towards history in the city center; may be your interest in mythology, or perhaps you want to go and see it because of the Troy movie you have seen in cinema years ago; it is time to go to the Ancient City of Troy, which is the subject of the epics, and experience that legend on its own place.

The ancient city of Troy, which was registered to the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage List in 1998, is located within the borders of Tevfikiye village and about 30 km from the city center of Çanakkale. In Troy, where the famous poet, Homer, of the ancient period included in his epics of Iliad and Odysseia, a continuous settlement was observed between 3000 BC and 500 AC.

According to the second epic of Homer, Odysseia; the most cunning warrior of the Akhils, who realized that they could not conquer the Troy by war, thought of the trick of the Trojan Horse. The Trojans, who took in the wooden horse that was left in the entrance of the castle, were not aware of the situation. At night, the Akhilian warriors who got out the wooden horse conquered the Troy after a ten-year war and destroyed the city. If you are on a lucky day during your trip to the ancient city with this mythological story, you may see some tiny, lovely friends accompanying you. Seeing those squirrels running from one place to another on the ruins and photographing them on the ruins, which shed light on history, may contribute an additional entertainment to your trip.

Since the year 2018 was the 20th anniversary of the ancient city of Troy on the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage List, The Ministry of Culture and Tourism declared the year 2018 as the Year of Troy, and several studies were carried out to promote the coordination of Troy in Turkey and in the world both by the Ministry and Çanakkale Governorship. The Troy Museum, which was recently opened, has been an important step in making the impact of many promotional activities as sustainable in 2018. Within the scope of your visit to Troy Ruins, do not forget to spend time for the Troy Museum and find out where the architect is hiding the wooden horse.

Before your trip, you may check and find out more about the subjects in http://www.troya2018.com/, where detailed information about the Year of Troy 2018 is available, and http://www.troyexcavations.com/Home/SayfaDetay?id=12 web addresses, where you may find information about the excavations. 

Pleasant discoveries in advance....
You should remember that you can access the information about historical places mentioned in the article, as well as all other cultural assets located in the city centre but not covered by the text through the promotional materials such as brochures, booklet, etc. which you can obtain from the Tourist Information bureau located on the Pier Square in the city centre. In addition to the mentioned information sources, you may also have more detailed and scientific knowledge through the Cultural Inventory link published on the web site of Çanakkale Provincial Directorate of Culture and Tourism, and the web page of Çanakkale Governorship.