Gallipoli

Seaport and town (pop., 2000 est.: 23,100), European Turkey. It lies on a narrow peninsula at the entrance to the Sea of Marmara, southwest of Istanbul.

First colonized by the Greeks, it was the site of an important Byzantine fortress. It became the first Ottoman conquest in Europe (&circa; 1356) and was used as a naval base because of its strategic importance for the defense of Constantinople (Istanbul). Much of the town was destroyed in World War I (1914–18) during the Dardanelles Campaign. Historic sites include a 14th-century Ottoman castle and the tombs of Thracian kings.