İstiklâl Yolu Tarihî Millî Parkı, National park along Independence Road in northern Turkey
The Independence Road Historical National Park is a protected area in northern Anatolia extending 344 kilometers from Inebolu on the Black Sea coast through Kastamonu and Çankırı provinces to Ankara. The park combines natural landscapes with preserved sections of the original wartime supply route that connected the coast to the capital.
During the Turkish War of Independence from 1919 to 1923, this route functioned as the main supply corridor delivering military equipment from Black Sea ports to the capital. The road enabled weapons, ammunition, and food to reach fighting forces despite challenging mountainous terrain.
The road embodies the courage of local women who carried ammunition and supplies on ox-carts through mountain passes during the independence struggle. Their work was vital to keeping fighters supplied on the front lines.
The area provides marked hiking trails, historical monuments, and information panels guiding visitors across multiple provinces in northern Anatolia. Plan to spend several hours exploring, and wear sturdy footwear since paths traverse mountainous terrain.
The protected area preserves traces of the actual transport route from 1919 to 1923 that remain visible in the landscape today. Hikers can follow the worn paths at several locations, marked by the passage of thousands of carts and animals carrying supplies.
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