History of Bozcaada

     Bozcaada is a fairly small island of Canakkale Turkey, located at the south of the Dardanelles (one of the two straits that splits Asia and Europe). The Bozcaada island was formerly called as Tenedos in the ancient times. Bozcaada has a strategic location in the Aegean Sea at the entrance of the Dardanelles Straits was ideal to guard the city of Troy just to the North. Due to the island's strategic position, Bozcaada has been occupied by several civilisations such as Greeks, Persians, Romans, Byzantines, Venetians, Geneose and Ottomans. The story of Bozcaada starts with the arrival of Tenes , the son of King Kyknos, to the Leukophrys island, which is renamed as Tenedos ( Tenes 's Island). Pelasginas are thought to be the first inhabitants of the island approximately 5000 years ago. Beginning from the ancient times the strategic location of Bozcaada, which is located at the mouth of Dardanelles, played a critical role in order to control firstly Troia and than the Dardanelles. More recently the island was used as an air base by the Allied forces in the Gallipoli Campaign of First World War (WW I).

     The life in Bozcaada can be traced back to more than 500o years. Pelasginas can be considered as the first inhabitants of the island. After these first inhabitants persians, romans, byzantians, genoese and venetians also settled on the island. After 1453, the capture of Byzantium, by the ottomans, the island became a part of the Ottoman Empire.