A team of Turkish historians, after two decades of research, believe they have located the site of the Battle of the Granicus, a pivotal victory for Alexander the Great in his conquest of Asia Minor. The team, led by Professor Reyhan Köprü of Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University (ÇOMÜ), claims to have not only found the battlefield itself but also mapped the routes taken by Alexander’s army.
The discovery, which pinpoints the battle’s location in Turkey’s Biga region of Çanakkale Province, comes after nearly 150 years of searching by researchers. Professor Köprü presented the findings to local officials, highlighting the battle’s historical significance as a turning point in Alexander’s campaign, paving the way for his conquest of Anatolia and beyond.
The team meticulously studied ancient texts to reconstruct Alexander’s route, tracing his army’s movement from the village of Özbek near the Dardanelles eastward to ancient Lampsacus, then across the mountains and down into the Biga plain to the Granicus River. They also identified the locations of Alexander’s campsites along this route.
The Turkish authorities are now exploring ways to promote the site as a historical and cultural tourism destination, incorporating it into a heritage trail based on Alexander’s march.