Alexandria Troas Archaeological Site

Alexandria Troas lies at Kestanbolluk in the village of Dalyan, in the Ezine district of Çanakkale. It was founded in 310 BC by Antigonos Monophthalmos, one of Alexander the Great's generals, under the name Antigoneia. After Alexander's death, Lysimachos renamed it Alexandria Troas, the city of Alexander in the Troad.

The city was carefully planned, with temples, baths, a stadium, a fountain, a paved street, a theatre, a water channel and a harbour. One of its standing buildings is the Gymnasium of Herodes Atticus, among the largest in Anatolia. The city covered about 390 hectares and its walls have been traced for 8 km, which makes it one of the biggest ancient cities in the region.

Excavations are still under way under a team from Ankara University, so you may see archaeologists at work among the stones. It is a place of scale rather than of polished monuments, best enjoyed by wandering through the fields and looking out at the sea.