Bozcaada Island (Turkey)

Bozcaada Island (port locode TRBZC), aka Tenedos, in ancient times is roughly 39 km2 (15ml2). It is located in the northeastern part of Aegean Sea near Istanbul. As Tenedos, the island is mentioned in both Iliad and Aeneid. Bozcaada Island is the site where the Greek fleet was hid near the end of Trojan War to trick the Trojans into believing that the war was over and into taking the Trojan Horse. Bozcaada Island was important throughout antiquity despite its small size, thanks to its strategic location at the entrance to the Dardanelles.

The sole town of Bozcaada Island has population around 2,000. The town is on the northeastern corner, facing Mainland Turkey. The cobbled streets in its central part boast their traditional architecture. The rest of Bozcaada Island is covered by scattered pine woods, vineyards, and Mediterranean shrubland, dotted by occasional vineyard manors and, near the coastline, housing estates used as vacation homes by mainland Turks.

The main attraction on Bozcaada Island is the castle (occupied by Genoans, Byzantines and Venetians), last rebuilt in 1815. The castle is illuminated at night, with a view out to the open sea. The past of the island is exhibited in a small museum.

The Bozcaada district covers the entire island plus 17 surrounding islets. The highest point is Göztepe (192 m /630 ft). The district center is located on the east side of the island, 22 km (12 mi) south of the Dardanelles Strait.

Up until recently, the Bozcaada district was 'sui generis' in Turkey as having no rural population. Due to metropolitan municipalities established after the 1980s, there are already some other districts that have no rural population.

Bozcaada Island cruise terminal