Kaz Dağı (Mount Ida), situated at the southern tip of Çanakkale, is a mountain nearly as famous in mythology as Mount Olympus. According to legend, the first beauty contest in history was held here under the judgment of Paris. The gods also watched the Trojan War from the summit of Mount Ida. In ancient times, the mountain was dedicated to the worship of Cybele, the mother goddess, and was therefore sometimes called "Idea Mater" – the Great Mother, Mother of the Gods.
In Greek mythology, the goddess Eris personified strife and discord. One famous legend begins with a wedding celebration – the wedding of Peleus and Thetis, to be precise. Apparently, someone forgot to invite the goddess of discord to the festivities, which proved to be the first mistake in a long chain of disastrous events. Eris simply showed up at the wedding uninvited, with mayhem on her mind.
When she arrived, the goddess tossed a golden apple into the crowd of divine guests inscribed with the phrase "to the fairest." The immediate question arose: who deserved this irresistible prize? Should Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty, claim the apple? Or should Hera, Queen of the Olympians, win it – or Athena, the grey-eyed goddess of wisdom? They were all beautiful goddesses, making it an impossible decision. To avoid conflict among the gods, a mortal – Paris, a Trojan prince – was chosen to decide who should receive the golden apple. Tempted by Aphrodite's offer of the most beautiful mortal woman, Paris awarded the prize to the goddess of love. Unfortunately, Helen (the loveliest woman in the world) was already married to King Menelaus of Sparta.
From this seemingly minor event – an apple thrown at a wedding – the seed for the legendary Trojan War was planted.
The tradition of this mythological beauty contest is commemorated annually at the Golden Apple Festival held on Kaz Mountain.