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GALLIPOLI (Gelibolu) --Across the Dardanelles from Canakkale lies the Gallipoli Peninsula. Its historic significance can't be underrated--World War I would have been considerably shorter (and the course of history changed) had the British Empire's troops merely secured their position on its heights rather than on its beaches after they captured the peninsula. (The astonished Turks, who had retreated from the heights, simply turned around and established machine guns nests above the troops to pin them down, effectively delaying any further Allied movement on the Eastern Front.) Given its historic importance, the site is very low-key; take a walk along the heights and look down on the sea to get a clear understanding of why the Australians and New Zealanders below had hardly a prayer. The Turkish commander, Ataturk, first gained his reputation and fame there in 1915. Though Winston Churchill was not on the scene, he had sent the expedition, and the disaster nearly ruined him politically. There are many war cemeteries and monuments on the peninsula. 125 mi/200 km southwest of Istanbul. . TROY (Ilium) --Although celebrated in the Iliad and Odyssey of Homer and the Aeneid of Virgil, Troy exists today (3,200 years later) only as ruins. Believed to be fictional until von Schliemann's excavation in the last century, the site is near the modern city of Hissarlik, not far from the Aegean Sea. The Trojan Horse, the Trojan War and Helen of Troy were but a small part of the city's history--so far, nine settlements have been uncovered, dating from the Stone Age to the Roman Empire. Plan a few hours to walk through the archaeological site. Overnight in Canakkale, a town on the Dardanelles 20 mi/32 km north of Troy. 170 mi/275 km southwest of Istanbul. . BERGAMA (Pergamum) --Usually seen on a two-day tour of the Seven Churches of Asia Minor or on an Aegean sea cruise, Bergama is the site of the ancient city of Pergamum. While not quite as old or grand as Ephesus (see separate paragraph), we think Bergama merits a visit because of its glorious past as an ancient capital and cultural center. Among its ruins are an acropolis featuring an Altar of Zeus, palaces, gymnasiums, temples, the world's steepest amphitheater, an Aesculapium (ancient medical center) and a now-empty library (it once held 200,000 volumes). Note the familiar symbol of medicine on the base of the Serpent Altar; Pergamum was the home of early medical theoretician Galen, whose teachings held sway for 1,500 years. Unfortunately, the most spectacular treasures from Pergamum can't be seen there--they're at the Pergamon Museum in Berlin, Germany. Allow a few hours to tour the ruins. 50 mi/80 km north of Izmir. .
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