About Gökçeada

Gökçeada (imroz), one of the developing touristic centers of Çanakkale, attracts an increasing number of local and foreign tourists every year with its natural beauties, the Greek culture that has left its mark on the island, its festivals, the fascinating Aegean Sea surrounding it and its delicious seafood. Gökçeada (imroz) is the largest island in Turkey with an area of 1285.5 km. Gökçeada has a total coastline of 95 km, with an east-west length of 129.5 km and a north-south length of 13 km at the extreme points. Gökçeada has a very rugged structure formed by volcanic masses, where hills and plains follow each other. Homer, the famous author of the Iliad, refers to Gökçeada as Pepaloessa (Wavy) because of this feature.
Transportation to Gökçeada is carried out by ferries taking cars from Çanakkale Center and Kabatepe Ports on the Gallipoli Peninsula, and the average travel time varies between 12 - 12.5 hours. Large engines belonging to a private company also serve between Kabatepe and Gökçeada. Average sea distances; Gökçeada Kuzu harbor - Çanakkale 312 Miles, Gökçeada Kuzu harbor - Gallipoli Peninsula Kabatepe Port 14 Miles, Gökçeada - Bozcaada 129 Miles. There is no direct transportation between Gökçeada and Bozcaada yet.
Gökçeada is the 4th island in the world in terms of the abundance of water resources it has. Located in the eastern part of Gökçeada (Gokceada, imroz), Salt Lake, with a surface area of approximately 1 km12, is not only known for its salt production, but also for its chemically analyzed healing mud, which is said to be good for many health problems such as sciatica, rheumatism, psoriasis, calcification and skin wrinkles. Tuz Lake is also on the migration route of flamingos. Marmaros Waterfall is another one of the water sources to be seen.
The coast of Aydıncık (Kefalos) on the south coast of Gökçeada, where the prevailing winds are lodos and windsurfing, is known for its sandy beach and sea suitable for windsurfing. As Gökçeada is the most diverse and richest region of Turkey in terms of fisheries, the taste of seafood here is different. In addition, Gökçeada is an ideal holiday destination for both diving and swimming sports with its clean and magnificent sea. Hidden bay, Laz bay, Yıldız bay can be counted as a few of the dozens of paradise bays in Gökçeada.
Gökçeada district of Çanakkale consists of 7 villages, namely the center and Kaleköy, Eski Bademli, Yeni Bademli, Zeytinliköy, Tepeköy, Dereköy and Uğurlu villages. In Gökçeada, where Turkish and Greek (Greek) cultures meet and live in friendship, mosques, churches, monasteries, old Greek houses and modern architectural examples are scattered together in harmony. Tepeköy, built at the foot of a hill, is the meeting point for Christians who have lived in Gökçeada before or have ties to Gökçeada to celebrate the anniversary of the death of the Virgin Mary every August 15th. Zeytinliköy is one of the most popular and preserved villages of Gökçeada. Overlooking the center of Gökçeada from a bird's eye view, Zeytinliköy has many old Greek houses restored and inhabited. Madam's dibek coffee is famous in Zeytinliköy, which is adorned with olives all around. Kaleköy, the most colorful and lively place of Gökçeada, is frequented by those who come to Gökçeada with its fishing port, restaurants, bars and tea gardens. There are castle ruins on the hill where Kaleköy rests on its back. Dereköy, where hundreds of houses have been abandoned, used to be the most populous village in Turkey with a population of nearly 4000 households. In Gökçeada (Gokceada, imroz) Dereköy, where the Greek culture smells strongly, there are dozens of houses, churches and cafes, some of which are in ruins and pushed into solitude. In the center of Gökçeada (Gokceada, imroz), there is a mosque reflecting all the features of the 1200-year-old Ottoman architecture, and a church belonging to the Greeks. Ongoing archaeological excavations near the village of Yenibademli are investigating the status of Gökçeada (Gokceada, imroz) in ancient times. In the light of the ongoing studies, findings dating back to 3000 BC were found.
Due to the favorable climatic conditions, viticulture is among the leading sources of livelihood in Gökçeada (Gokceada, imroz) and Bozcaada. The unique taste of the grapes grown in Gökçeada (Gokceada, imroz) and Bozcaada is reflected both on the tables and in the wines produced in the Çanakkale region.
Gökçeada (Gokceada, imroz) Tourism continues to develop with increasing investments every year. Accommodation facilities in Gökçeada (Gokceada, imroz) are generally pension, motel, and hotel type and the approximate accommodation capacity is around 1000 beds.
Although the history of Gökçeada (Gokceada, imroz) dates back to ancient times, it has also taken its place in Greek mythology. In Homer's Iliad epic, it is said to be under the protection of Poseidon, the god of the sea. In the epic, it is stated that the stables of Poseidon's winged horses were between Gökçeada (Gokceada, imroz) and Bozcaada (tenedos). The name imroz of Gökçeada derives from the name 'imbrasos', which means the god of fertility of barren lands. It is said that the people of Imbros (Gokceada, Gökçeada) sided with the people of Troy during the Trojan War in the Iliad Epic.
The people of Gökçeada (Gokceada, imroz), who lived independently long ago, lived under the rule of the Athenians for many years afterwards. Therefore, traces of the Hellenistic period are evident in Gökçeada (gokceada, imroz). Gökçeada (Gokceada, imroz), which was under the occupation of the Persians for a period, later came under the sovereignty of the Athenians again. Gökçeada (Golceada imroz), which came under Roman rule in later periods, became a province of the Byzantine Empire when the Roman Empire was divided into two. In 1456, during the reign of Sultan Mehmet the Conqueror, Gökçeada (Gokceada, imroz), which was transferred to Ottoman sovereignty by Barboros Hayrettin Pasha, was an island where Greeks and Muslims lived together for 471 years. Gökçeada (Gokceada, imroz), which came under the sovereignty of the Greeks during the Balkan War, was transferred to Turkey on September 12, 1923 with the Treaty of Lausanne.