What Kind of Place Is Bozcaada?

A small island, but one that holds an entire history within.

Bozcaada is so ancient it's mentioned in Homer's Iliad. You know the legend of the Trojan Horse. The story goes that the Greek fleet hid its ships behind this very island to convince the Trojans the war was over. Sitting right at the mouth of the Dardanelles, don't be fooled by its size: Persians, Romans, Byzantines, Venetians and Ottomans each ruled here in turn.

You still feel that past today. For five hundred years, Greeks and Turks have lived side by side here. On one side the colourful doors and wide stone streets of the Greek Quarter, on the other the narrow, winding lanes of the Turkish Quarter.

The entire island is a protected site. No ugly concrete sprawl, and everything is preserved in its old fabric. As you walk, you feel time slow down.

As you approach the island from the harbour, the first thing you'll see is the castle. Everyone left a stone here, and today it houses a museum and can be visited during the day.

And then there are the vineyards. The whole island is grapes. Wine is a tradition here, more on that shortly.