Gulf of Saros

The Gulf of Saros opened north of the Dardanelles beside the Gallipoli peninsula. Ottoman control of these waters involved provisions as well as defence. Grain was meant to be directed toward Istanbul, but ships obtained illicit cargoes from the gulf's shores and islands. In 1729 officials reported that the monastery on the large island known as Tavşan or Manastır was involved in that traffic.

The government answered by turning the island monastery into a fortress. Construction began in 1730, and Kale-i Cedid was operating by 1731. Monastic endowment property was assigned to the garrison, while orders protected the monks' separately owned possessions. The former church became the fortress mosque. In 1737 the commander was again instructed to prevent grain sales to foreign vessels and secure supplies for Istanbul. Artillerymen and guards made this a permanent point of supervision inside the gulf. The fortress linked the regulation of coastal commerce with the protection of nearby shores, giving Ottoman authority a local base amid the island anchorages.