Researcher locates site of Alexander's first Persian victory after 20 years of study

The site of the historic Battle of Granikos, where Alexander the Great secured a pivotal victory over the Persian Empire, was identified after 20 years of dedicated research. Prof. Dr. Reyhan Körpe, a faculty member in the Department of History at Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University (ÇOMÜ), pinpointed the battlefield located approximately 100 kilometers east of Çanakkale, on the banks of the ancient Granikos River, which flows through the middle of the Biga Plain.

"Most recently this year, we reached very important findings aimed at determining exactly where this battlefield is," Prof. Dr. Körpe said, according to Haberler. He emphasized the historical importance of the discovery, stating,

"This is Alexander's most important battle. After this battle, Alexander set out from here and conquered Western Anatolia, and later all of Asia as far as India," Körpe explained, as reported by Milliyet. "His success in this battle was not only for Alexander but also one of the most important turning points in world history," he emphasized, according to Akşam.

"By carefully reading and interpreting ancient sources in our research in the region, we found out approximately where the battle was, between which villages, and exactly where in the plain it was," he stated, according to Star.

Over the last 20 years, Körpe conducted surface surveys in the Biga district and its surroundings to find the battlefield that had been sought for 150 years. In the last three years, these studies and research have intensified. "About 20 years ago, we started a study related to the Granikos Battlefield. In addition, in the last 3 years, studies and research to find the battlefield have continued," he stated, as reported by Akşam.

Identifying the routes taken by Alexander the Great leading to the battlefield was a significant part of the research. "We have precisely identified the route where Alexander started from the Özbek village plain near Çanakkale, then moved eastward to Umurbey, Lapseki, and after crossing the mountains, descended to the Biga Plain, reaching the Granikos River," Körpe stated, according to CNN Türk.

In the Granikos battlefield, the first of three major battles fought between Alexander the Great and the Persian Empire took place in May 334 BCE.

A project has been initiated to promote the Granikos Battlefield as a tourist destination, including the Alexander the Great Cultural Route and landscaping of the historical site.

This article was written in collaboration with generative AI company Alchemiq