Gelibolu
Encyclopedia
Gelibolu, also known as Gallipoli (from , kallipolis, "beautiful city"), is the name of a town and a district in Çanakkale Province
of the Marmara region
, located in Eastern Thrace in the European part of Turkey
on the southern shore of the peninsula named after it
on the Dardanelles
strait, two miles away from Lapseki
on the other shore.
The Macedonian city of Callipolis was founded in the 5th century B.C. It has a rich history as a naval base for various rulers.
The emperor Justinian I
fortified Gallipoli and established important military warehouses for corn and wine there, of which some Byzantine
ruins can still be seen. After the capture of Constantinople by the Latins in 1204, Gallipoli passed into the power of Venice. In 1294 the Genoese defeated a Venetian force in the neighbourhood. A body of Almogavars
, under Roger de Flor
, established themselves here in 1306, and after the death of their leader massacred almost all the citizens; they were vainly besieged by the allied troops of Venice and the Empire, and withdrew in 1307, after dismantling the fortifications. After the city's defenses were damaged in earthquake, it was conquered by Turks in 1354
and became the first part of the Ottoman empire
in Europe. Bayezid I
(1389–1403) built a castle and tower there which can still be seen. In 1416 the Venetians under Pietro Loredan
defeated the Turks here. Gallipoli is the site of "tombs of the Thracian kings", which refers to the graves of the islamic writers Ahmed Bican
(died 1466) and his brother Mehmed Bican (died 1451).
In 1854 the town was occupied by the allied French and British armies during the Crimean War
who strengthened the defensive constructions from 1357. Many soldiers died there of cholera and are buried in a local cemetery. The guns of Gallipoli guarded the sea of Marmara until 1878 when more fortifications were built when the Russians threatened to take possession of Constantinople.
Gelibolu was the original center of Kaptanpaşa Eyalet; between 1864 and 1920 the town was the sanjak
center in Edirne
vilayet
. In 1904 the Greek bishopric of Kallipolis was promoted to a metropolis and is listed under the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople
.
The Bulgaria
n Army threatened Gelibolu during the First Balkan War
and advanced to Bolayır in 1912. During the First World War the peninsula and the town were witness to a series of memorable battles (see Gallipoli Campaign). The town was occupied by Greeks between 1920–1922, and finally returned to Turkey in 1923 under the Treaty of Lausanne
. Like the island Imbros
off the western shore of the peninsula, Gallipoli had had a majority of Greek inhabitants prior to WWI and thus was exempted in article 2 from the Convention Concerning the Exchange of Greek and Turkish Populations (1923)
. Between 1922 and 1926 the town was a provincial center and the districts of Gelibolu, Eceabat
, Keşan
(Enez
became part of Keşan before 1953) and Şarköy
.
. The population of the district is 44,697 where 28,326 live in the center of the district (as of 2010) The mayor is Münir Mustafa Özacar (CHP
). Gelibolu is well-known for sardine
canning.
Çanakkale Province
Çanakkale Province is a province of Turkey, located in the northwestern part of the country. It takes its name from the town of Çanakkale.Like Istanbul, Çanakkale province has a European and an Asian part. The European part is formed by the Gallipoli peninsula, while the Asian part is largely...
of the Marmara region
Marmara Region
The Marmara Region , with a surface area of 67.000 km², is the smallest but most densely populated of the seven geographical regions of Turkey...
, located in Eastern Thrace in the European part of Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
on the southern shore of the peninsula named after it
Gallipoli
The Gallipoli peninsula is located in Turkish Thrace , the European part of Turkey, with the Aegean Sea to the west and the Dardanelles straits to the east. Gallipoli derives its name from the Greek "Καλλίπολις" , meaning "Beautiful City"...
on the Dardanelles
Dardanelles
The Dardanelles , formerly known as the Hellespont, is a narrow strait in northwestern Turkey connecting the Aegean Sea to the Sea of Marmara. It is one of the Turkish Straits, along with its counterpart the Bosphorus. It is located at approximately...
strait, two miles away from Lapseki
Lapseki
Lapseki is a town and district of Çanakkale Province, Turkey. As of 2010, it has a population of 10,889. The mayor is Gani Mehmet Ekim .The district of Lapseki is famous for its cherries; a cherry festival is held annually in this town.-History:...
on the other shore.
History
The emperor Justinian I
Justinian I
Justinian I ; , ; 483– 13 or 14 November 565), commonly known as Justinian the Great, was Byzantine Emperor from 527 to 565. During his reign, Justinian sought to revive the Empire's greatness and reconquer the lost western half of the classical Roman Empire.One of the most important figures of...
fortified Gallipoli and established important military warehouses for corn and wine there, of which some Byzantine
Byzantine
Byzantine usually refers to the Roman Empire during the Middle Ages.Byzantine may also refer to:* A citizen of the Byzantine Empire, or native Greek during the Middle Ages...
ruins can still be seen. After the capture of Constantinople by the Latins in 1204, Gallipoli passed into the power of Venice. In 1294 the Genoese defeated a Venetian force in the neighbourhood. A body of Almogavars
Almogavars
The almogavars were a class of soldiers from the Crown of Aragon, well-known during the Christian Reconquista of the Iberian Peninsula. They were much employed as mercenaries in Italy, Latin Greece and the Levant during the 13th and 14th centuries.-History:The Almogavars came mainly from the...
, under Roger de Flor
Roger de Flor
Roger de Flor , also known as Ruggero/Ruggiero da Fiore or Rutger von Blum or Ruggero Flores, was a military adventurer active in Sicily, Italy and the Byzantine Empire...
, established themselves here in 1306, and after the death of their leader massacred almost all the citizens; they were vainly besieged by the allied troops of Venice and the Empire, and withdrew in 1307, after dismantling the fortifications. After the city's defenses were damaged in earthquake, it was conquered by Turks in 1354
Fall of Gallipoli
The fall of Gallipoli to the Ottomans occurred in March of 1354. After suffering a half-century of a string of defeats at the hands of the Ottomans, the Byzantines had lost nearly all of their possessions in Anatolia...
and became the first part of the Ottoman empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
in Europe. Bayezid I
Bayezid I
Bayezid I was the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, from 1389 to 1402. He was the son of Murad I and Valide Sultan Gülçiçek Hatun.-Biography:Bayezid was born in Edirne and spent his youth in Bursa, where he received a high-level education...
(1389–1403) built a castle and tower there which can still be seen. In 1416 the Venetians under Pietro Loredan
Pietro Loredan
Pietro Loredan was a Venetian nobleman and admiral.Loredan was responsible for making Venice a dominant power in northeastern Italy in the 15th century. His first great victory was over the Ottoman Turks near Gallipoli in June 1416. He later triumphed over rival Genoa near Rapallo in 1431...
defeated the Turks here. Gallipoli is the site of "tombs of the Thracian kings", which refers to the graves of the islamic writers Ahmed Bican
Ahmed Bican
Ahmed Bican Yazıcıoğlu was an Ottoman author most noted for his Dürr-i Meknûn.-Biography:Little is known of Yazıcıoğlu's life. His earliest biography was written by Mustafa Âlî. Yazıcıoğlu came from a literary family...
(died 1466) and his brother Mehmed Bican (died 1451).
In 1854 the town was occupied by the allied French and British armies during the Crimean War
Crimean War
The Crimean War was a conflict fought between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the French Empire, the British Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Sardinia. The war was part of a long-running contest between the major European powers for influence over territories of the declining...
who strengthened the defensive constructions from 1357. Many soldiers died there of cholera and are buried in a local cemetery. The guns of Gallipoli guarded the sea of Marmara until 1878 when more fortifications were built when the Russians threatened to take possession of Constantinople.
Gelibolu was the original center of Kaptanpaşa Eyalet; between 1864 and 1920 the town was the sanjak
Sanjak
Sanjaks were administrative divisions of the Ottoman Empire. Sanjak, and the variant spellings sandjak, sanjaq, and sinjaq, are English transliterations of the Turkish word sancak, meaning district, banner, or flag...
center in Edirne
Edirne
Edirne is a city in Eastern Thrace, the northwestern part of Turkey, close to the borders with Greece and Bulgaria. Edirne served as the capital city of the Ottoman Empire from 1365 to 1453, before Constantinople became the empire's new capital. At present, Edirne is the capital of the Edirne...
vilayet
Wilayah
A wilāyah or vilâyet , or vilayat in Urdu and Turkish, is an administrative division, usually translated as "province", rarely as "governorate". The word comes from the Arabic "w-l-y", "to govern": a wāli — "governor" — governs a wilayah, "that which is governed"...
. In 1904 the Greek bishopric of Kallipolis was promoted to a metropolis and is listed under the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople
Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople
The Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople , part of the wider Orthodox Church, is one of the fourteen autocephalous churches within the communion of Orthodox Christianity...
.
The Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
n Army threatened Gelibolu during the First Balkan War
First Balkan War
The First Balkan War, which lasted from October 1912 to May 1913, pitted the Balkan League against the Ottoman Empire. The combined armies of the Balkan states overcame the numerically inferior and strategically disadvantaged Ottoman armies and achieved rapid success...
and advanced to Bolayır in 1912. During the First World War the peninsula and the town were witness to a series of memorable battles (see Gallipoli Campaign). The town was occupied by Greeks between 1920–1922, and finally returned to Turkey in 1923 under the Treaty of Lausanne
Treaty of Lausanne
The Treaty of Lausanne was a peace treaty signed in Lausanne, Switzerland on 24 July 1923, that settled the Anatolian and East Thracian parts of the partitioning of the Ottoman Empire. The treaty of Lausanne was ratified by the Greek government on 11 February 1924, by the Turkish government on 31...
. Like the island Imbros
Imbros
Imbros or Imroz, officially referred to as Gökçeada since July 29, 1970 , is an island in the Aegean Sea and the largest island of Turkey, part of Çanakkale Province. It is located at the entrance of Saros Bay and is also the westernmost point of Turkey...
off the western shore of the peninsula, Gallipoli had had a majority of Greek inhabitants prior to WWI and thus was exempted in article 2 from the Convention Concerning the Exchange of Greek and Turkish Populations (1923)
Convention Concerning the Exchange of Greek and Turkish Populations (1923)
The Convention Concerning the Exchange of Greek and Turkish Populations was an agreement between the Greek and Turkish governments signed in Lausanne on January 30, 1923, in the aftermath of the Greco-Turkish War of 1919–1922. The agreement provided for the simultaneous expulsion of Christians from...
. Between 1922 and 1926 the town was a provincial center and the districts of Gelibolu, Eceabat
Eceabat
Eceabat, formerly Maydos , is a town and district of Çanakkale Province in the Marmara region of Turkey, located on the eastern shore of the Gelibolu Peninsula, on the Dardanelles Strait. According to the 2010 census, population of the district is 9,154 of which 5,380 live in the town of Eceabat...
, Keşan
Kesan
Keşan is the name of a district of Edirne Province, Turkey, and also the name of the largest town in the district. Keşan has a population of 54,314 during the winter; in the summer this increases to 70,000 because of an influx of tourists...
(Enez
Enez
Enez is a district of Edirne Province, Turkey, as well as the name of the center-town of the district. Its ancient name was Aenus. The mayor is Ahmet Çayır . The population is 3,826 as of 2010....
became part of Keşan before 1953) and Şarköy
Sarköy
Şarköy is a seaside town and district of Tekirdağ Province situated on the north coast of the Marmara Sea in Thrace in Turkey. Şarköy is 86 km west of the town of Tekirdağ, and can be reached either by the inland road or by the winding coast road, which goes on to Gallipoli...
.
Gelibolu today
Gelibolu is now a district center in the province of ÇanakkaleÇanakkale Province
Çanakkale Province is a province of Turkey, located in the northwestern part of the country. It takes its name from the town of Çanakkale.Like Istanbul, Çanakkale province has a European and an Asian part. The European part is formed by the Gallipoli peninsula, while the Asian part is largely...
. The population of the district is 44,697 where 28,326 live in the center of the district (as of 2010) The mayor is Münir Mustafa Özacar (CHP
Republican People's Party (Turkey)
The Republican People's Party is a centre-left Kemalist political party in Turkey. It is the oldest political party of Turkey and is currently Main Opposition in the Grand National Assembly. The Republican People's Party describes itself as "a modern social-democratic party, which is faithful to...
). Gelibolu is well-known for sardine
Sardine
Sardines, or pilchards, are several types of small, oily fish related to herrings, family Clupeidae. Sardines are named after the Mediterranean island of Sardinia, around which they were once abundant....
canning.
Notable people from Gelibolu
- Piri ReisPiri ReisPiri Reis was an Turkish Ottoman admiral, geographer and cartographer born between 1465 and 1470 and died in 1554 or 1555....
(ca.1465-1555), a Turkish cartographer and geographer - Ahmed BicanAhmed BicanAhmed Bican Yazıcıoğlu was an Ottoman author most noted for his Dürr-i Meknûn.-Biography:Little is known of Yazıcıoğlu's life. His earliest biography was written by Mustafa Âlî. Yazıcıoğlu came from a literary family...
(? - ca. 1466), a BayramiyeBayramiyeBayrami, Bayramiye, Bayramiyya, Bayramiyye, and Bayramilik refer toa Turkish Sufi order founded by Hajji Bayram in Ankara around the year 1400. The order spread to the then Ottoman capital Istanbul where there were several tekkes and into the Balkans...
dervishDervishA Dervish or Darvesh is someone treading a Sufi Muslim ascetic path or "Tariqah", known for their extreme poverty and austerity, similar to mendicant friars in Christianity or Hindu/Buddhist/Jain sadhus.-Etymology:The Persian word darvīsh is of ancient origin and descends from a Proto-Iranian...
and Turkish writer- His brother Mehmed Bican (? - ca. 1451), a BayramiyeBayramiyeBayrami, Bayramiye, Bayramiyya, Bayramiyye, and Bayramilik refer toa Turkish Sufi order founded by Hajji Bayram in Ankara around the year 1400. The order spread to the then Ottoman capital Istanbul where there were several tekkes and into the Balkans...
dervishDervishA Dervish or Darvesh is someone treading a Sufi Muslim ascetic path or "Tariqah", known for their extreme poverty and austerity, similar to mendicant friars in Christianity or Hindu/Buddhist/Jain sadhus.-Etymology:The Persian word darvīsh is of ancient origin and descends from a Proto-Iranian...
and Turkish writer
- His brother Mehmed Bican (? - ca. 1451), a Bayramiye
- Mustafa ÂlîMustafa AliGelibolulu Mustafa Âlî bin Ahmed bin Abdülmevlâ Çelebi was an Ottoman historian and bureaucrat of Croatian ancestry. He wrote the earliest known biography of Ahmed Bican. He also wrote poetry and essays on religious and other subjects. Prof...
(1541–1600), a Turkish historian and bureaucrat - Sofia VemboSofia VemboSofia Vembo was a leading Greek singer and actress active from the interwar period to the early postwar years and the 50s. She became best known for her performance of patriotic songs during the Greco-Italian War, when she was dubbed the "Songstress of Victory".Her real name was Efi Bebo...
(1910–1978), a Greek singer