The battlefield where Alexander the Great won his first major victory against the Persian Empire and opened the road for his campaign into Asia has been placed under official protection in northwestern Türkiye. The Granicus Battlefield, located in the Biga district of Çanakkale, has been registered as a historic protected site, Türkiye’s Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoy announced on X.
A victory that changed Alexander’s campaign
The Battle of the Granicus was fought in 334 BCE on the banks of the Granicus River, generally associated with the modern Biga Çayı. It was Alexander’s first major confrontation with the Achaemenid Persian Empire after crossing from Europe into Anatolia.
For the young Macedonian king, Granicus was more than an early battlefield. It was the first major test of a campaign that would carry him through Anatolia, Syria, Egypt and Mesopotamia before reaching Persepolis, one of the ceremonial centers of Persian power.
The victory broke the first line of Persian resistance in northwestern Anatolia. Ancient accounts describe a dangerous river crossing, intense cavalry fighting and a moment when Alexander himself came close to death. The outcome gave his army the momentum to move deeper into Persian-held territory.
A historic site in Biga now under protection
Ancient sources place the battle near the Granicus River, a landscape now linked with the Biga region of Çanakkale. The new registration gives the battlefield formal protection as a cultural heritage area and strengthens its place in the wider history of Alexander’s Asian campaign.
Historic battlefields are difficult places to define with precision. Rivers shift, landscapes change and ancient place names often survive only through texts. In the case of Granicus, archaeological evidence and scientific research have helped give the site a clearer place within Türkiye’s protected heritage map.
Minister Ersoy announces the decision
Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy described Granicus as one of the turning points that changed the course of world history. He said Alexander won his first major victory against the Persians there, opening the gates to his campaign toward Asia.
Ersoy added that the registration of the site as a historic protected area would contribute to Çanakkale’s cultural heritage, historical research, cultural tourism and the strengthening of heritage routes.
For Çanakkale, the decision adds another important layer to a region already associated with Troy, the Dardanelles and Gallipoli. Granicus brings a different chapter into focus: the moment when a Macedonian army began the campaign that would reshape the ancient Near East.
With its new protected status, the Granicus Battlefield is no longer only a name preserved in classical histories. It is now part of Türkiye’s officially recognized cultural heritage, giving Biga a stronger place in the story of Alexander’s first steps against the Persian Empire.
Cover Image: Illustration of the Battle of the Granicus, where Alexander the Great won his first major victory against the Persian Empire in 334 BCE, opening the way for his campaign into Asia. Credit: Mehmet Nuri Ersoy / X