Archaeologists believe they have found the site of Alexander the Great’s first major victory—the Battle of Granicus—near the Biga River in Çanakkale, Türkiye.

In May 334 BCE, Alexander faced a numerically superior Persian army in a battle that marked the beginning of his legendary conquests. Recent research led by Prof. Reyhan Körpe of Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University suggests that the battlefield is located about 10 kilometers north of Biga district.

While 19th-century archaeologist Heinrich Kiepert had speculated about this location, Körpe’s team used geomorphological analyses to confirm the site. Earlier scholars placed the battle in an area that was actually a swamp in antiquity. However, the researchers identified a nearby hill that matches historical descriptions of where Persian-Greek mercenaries were stationed.

A key discovery was the ancient city of Hermaion, Alexander’s last stop before battle, confirming his route through Özbek Köyü, Umurbey, and Lapseki. Additionally, local farmers recently unearthed human bone fragments and weapons on the battlefield site, potentially linked to the conflict.

Turkey’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism is now working to protect and promote the site as part of an emerging Alexander the Great Cultural Route. Future geophysical surveys and excavations will further uncover the battlefield’s secrets.