Turkey Registers Site of Alexander the Great's Battle of Granikos as Historical Site

Turkish authorities have registered the site of the Battle of Granikos as a historical site, granting protected status to both the battlefield and adjacent land. The Çanakkale Regional Board for the Protection of Cultural Heritage made the decision after archaeological and scientific surveys assessed whether the location met designation criteria.

Background on the Site The battlefield lies within the Karabiga township in the Biga district of Çanakkale. Researchers formally identified the location in 2025, building on earlier suggestions by a 19th-century archaeologist that the area near the Biga River was the correct site.

Archaeologists also uncovered remains of the ancient city of Hermaion, which historical records identify as Alexander's final encampment before the battle.

March, a separate research team led by a University of Konstanz professor confirmed the rediscovery of the long-lost city of Alexandria on the Tigris in southern Iraq. The team used geophysical scanning and drone imagery to map fortification walls, a street grid, and port infrastructure beneath the surface.

That project, which began in the 2010s, found that the city's layout largely followed a systematic plan, though some deviations likely date from later periods.