cruise
Troy
This UNESCO World Heritage Site has been inhabited since 3,000 B. C. E. Control Troy and you control trade between the Mediterranean and the Black Sea— small wonder the ancient Greeks tried to capture the city by way of a wooden horse. In Çanakkale, the ship docks beside a steel statue of the Trojan Horse, which had a cameo in the 2004 blockbuster Troy.
The archaeological site is made up of nine layers, each representing a period curtailed by an earthquake, fire or both. Visitors can go underground and explore the 2,000-strong artifact collection in the Troy Museum.
Across the Dardanelles is the Gallipoli peninsula— the site of one of World War I’ s most deadly campaigns. Around 500,000 soldiers died here— many of whom were from Australia and New Zealand— so this peninsula holds a poignant place in history. Visit the cemeteries commemorating the fallen.
images: alamy; getty
Paddleboarding in Crete, Greece Above: Trojan horse in Canakkale, Turkey
Crete
Greece’ s largest island stretches 160 miles from west to east. Mythology fans must visit the Palace of Knossos, built by the Minoans( Europe’ s earliest civilization) in 1700 B. C. E. Knossos is infamous as the home of the Minotaur, a half-man, half-bull that stalked the labyrinth. While the maze has yet to be found, you’ ll discover rooms stocked with amphorae pots, murals and the world’ s first flushing toilet.
Crete’ s medieval and modern history— it has been occupied by the Arabs, Venetians, Ottomans and Nazis— is tumultuous. During an uprising against the Ottoman Empire in 1866, almost 1,000 Cretans sought sanctuary at Arkadi monastery. Before the Ottoman soldiers captured the monastery, the remaining Cretans blew up the gunpowder room they were hiding in— an explosive act of self-sacrifice.
The city of Chania attests to a more peaceful mixed identity. A walking tour takes you past Venetian harbors, Ottoman mosques and Orthodox churches. Muslim, Christian and Jewish quarters were once hubs of commerce, and these influences are evident in the cuisine.
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