Çanakkale is a city and seaport in Turkey, on the southern coast of the Dardanelles at their narrowest point and is the nearest major town to the site of ancient Troy.  It used to be an Ottoman fortress (Fortress of the Sultan) but from the late 17th century it also became known for its fine-glazed pottery, which give birth to the city's modern name, which roughly translates as 'pot fortress'.

Canakkale has great historical significance, being inhabited by various civilization from as early as 4000 BC.  Aeolian Greeks settled on the land in the 8th century BC and established trade colonies in the region called Aeolis. The region came under the control of the Lydians in the 7th century BC and under the control of the Persians in the 6th century BC. Aeolis went under the control of the Ancient Macedonian army as Alexander the Great defeated the Persians by the Granicus River of the region in the Battle of the Granicus on his way to Asia. The region came under the reign of the Kingdom of Pergamon in the 2nd century BC.

Outside the city, you can find the ruins of ancient Troy, a complex city, with nine ancient cities, each built on top of each other.  In the Bronze age (3000 – 1700 BC) Troy was strategically located between Europe and Asia. In the 3rd and 2nd millennia, it became a prosperous trade and cultural center.  After the Trojan War, the city became abandoned between the years 1100 – 700 BC.  Greek settlers began to reoccupy the area in 700 BC and Alexander the Great ruled around the 4th century and named Ileum.  The Romans then captured the city in 85 BC and named it New Ileum.

The ruins of Troy can be visited daily. The first thing you will see when visiting the site is a replica of the wooden Trojan horse.  There are also models and superimposed pictures around the site, to give a deeper understanding of how Troy would have looked at various points throughout history.