History Near Istanbul | 1 Guide

The lands around Istanbul have witnessed history's great turning points—Troy where Greeks and Trojans clashed in events Homer immortalized, Gallipoli where empires fell in the trenches of World War I, and the Ottoman capitals that preceded Constantinople's conquest. Our history guides take you to the archaeological excavations that brought Homer's world to life, the battlefields that forged Turkish national identity, and the early Ottoman cities of Bursa and Edirne where sultans honed their imperial ambitions before turning their eyes to the Byzantine prize.