Sunday 7 April – farewell Istanbul and off to the Dardanelles.
‘Troy, with its 4,000 years of history, is one of the most famous
archaeological sites in the world. The first excavations at the site were
undertaken by the famous archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann in 1870. In
scientific terms, its extensive remains are the most significant demonstration
of the first contact between the civilizations of Anatolia and the
Mediterranean world. Moreover, the siege of Troy by Spartan and Achaean
warriors from Greece in the 13th or 12th century B.C., immortalized by Homer in
the Iliad, has inspired great creative artists throughout the world ever since.’
(whc.unesco.org)
After a
couple of intense but fabulous days in Istanbul, it was time to head south to
the main focus of the tour: the sites of the Gallipoli campaign and to remember
and commemorate the soldiers our group have researched. The distance from
Istanbul to Canakkale is just over 300 kms and with all the new freeways, bridges
and massive infrastructure works over the last decade plus, the journey was seamless.
In the last few years, the Turkish government has spent billions on these works
including a massive new bridge, the ‘1915 Canakkale Bridge’ that spans the
Dardanelles about 10 kms south of the Sea of Marmara. With a span of just over
2,000 meters, it is has become the world’s longest suspension bridge thus
eliminating the ferry rides across the waters that would often involve hours of
queuing with trucks, cars and buses. It is an impressive structure however
there was something rather special about that ferry crossing all those years
ago when I was last here.
Before
arriving at our hotel, we spent several hours at the ancient archaeological site
of Troy and unlike 2001, lots had changed here too. Walkways and interpretive boards
were everywhere on this UNESCO World Heritage site along with a brand new 5 level
museum. Artefacts from the region spanning thousands of years and many
civilisations, made for impressive displays and historical accounts. The archaeological
work in ongoing as Turkish universities continue uncovering Troy’s multilayered
history.
Our
Canakkale hotel the ‘DoubleTree by Hilton’ is a fabulous 5-star new establishment
with superb views across the waters and peninsula that our ancestors fought and
died in. Tomorrow the WW1 narrative begins in earnest.
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