Çanakkale Province

Coordinates: 40°02′27″N 26°33′37″E / 40.04083°N 26.56028°E / 40.04083; 26.56028

Çanakkale Province (Turkish: Çanakkale ili) is a province of Turkey, located in the northwestern part of the country. It takes its name from the town of Çanakkale.

Like Istanbul, Çanakkale province has a European (Thrace) and an Asian (Anatolia) part. The European part is formed by the Gallipoli (Gelibolu) peninsula, while the Asian part is largely coterminous with the historic region of Troad in Anatolia. They are separated by the Dardanelles strait, connecting the Sea of Marmara and the Aegean Sea.

The archaeological site of Troy is found in Çanakkale province.

Short history

In the early Turkish Republic, the Çanakkale Province came into existence with the abolition of the Ottoman-era sanjaks of Biga and Gelibolu. According to a population census in 1927, Çanakkale had 8,500 inhabitants, except its neighbouring villages. It is recorded that Çanakkale, which was also called as "Hellespontos" and "Dardanelles" in ancient times, has accommodated to many civilizations for about 3,000 years. Even the Archaic Troy (Troia) city, where was governed by Lydians and destroyed by the devastating earthquake in 2500 BC, has ruins in today. In 336 BC, Persian Empire which became the crucial power in Anatolia and was conducted by Alexander the Great that aimed to extend ancient Greece all over the world, was defeated. Also with the ruin of the Anatolian beylik of Karesi, most of the territory of Canakkale was conquered in the Ottoman era, with the assistance of the castles in remuneration for helping to Byzantine Empire, locating Gelibolu. Afterwards, the Canakkale strait was given to the Ottoman Empire.