This area, which roughly constitutes ancient Aeolia, has been settled since Paleolithic times; civilization bloomed early here under the Phrygians, who arrived in Anatolia during the thirteenth century BC. Later waves of Greek colonists established settlements on the coast, leaving the region rich in Classical and Hellenistic remains. Although the sparse ruins of Troy in the north don't quite live up to their literary and legendary reputation, the ancient cities of Assos and Pergamon (modern Bergama) display some tangible reminders of the power and wealth of the greater Greek empire. Less visited than any of these is the more isolated Lydian city of Sardis, the ancient capital of King Croesus (and Midas before him), one of Aegean Turkey's most impressive archeological sites.
Coming from İstanbul or anywhere else in northwestern Turkey, the most obvious entry point is
Çanakkale – useful as a base for both the ruins at Troy and the World War I battlefields on the
Gelibolu peninsula. The road running south from Çanakkale is justifiably characterized as scenic on most maps, with much of the route wooded and gently hilly, giving way to a coastal strip with the mountains of the
Kaz Daıı range rising behind. Further south, the best stretches of beach lie near
Ayvalık – the area's longest-established resort – though there are also pleasant resorts and sands along the coastal strip running from
Assos to
Ören, on the northern shore of the
Gulf of Edremit, as well as at the small port towns of
Dıkılı,
Çandarlı and
Foça. Offshore, the Turkish Aegean islands of
Gökçeada and
Bozcaada provide an easy escape from Çanakkale, though many people prefer the charms of smaller islands such as
Alibey, a good day-trip destination from the resort of Ayvalık.