Gallipoli Peninsula

The Gallipoli Peninsula is one of Türkiye’s most important historical landscapes and a place of remembrance for nations involved in the Gallipoli Campaign of 1915. Overlooking the Dardanelles, the peninsula brings together battlefields, cemeteries, memorials, Ottoman fortifications and preserved military positions within a dramatic coastal setting. ANZAC Cove is one of the best-known locations on the peninsula. Australian and New Zealand troops landed along this part of the coast on 25 April 1915, beginning a campaign marked by difficult terrain, fierce fighting and heavy losses. Today, the peaceful shoreline provides a powerful contrast with the events that took place there. Located on the former battlefield, Lone Pine Cemetery and Memorial commemorate Australian and other Commonwealth servicemen who lost their lives during the campaign. Lone Pine was the site of an intense battle during the August Offensive, and the cemetery now covers parts of the former Australian and Ottoman positions. Further north stands the Chunuk Bair Memorial, dedicated to New Zealand soldiers who died during the battles around the Sari Bair range and have no known grave. Chunuk Bair was a strategically important height and became the scene of some of the campaign’s most determined fighting. The memorial and surrounding cemetery offer wide views across the peninsula. At the southern end of the peninsula, the Cape Helles Memorial serves both as a memorial to the entire Gallipoli Campaign and as a place of commemoration for Commonwealth servicemen with no known grave. Its elevated position overlooking the entrance to the Dardanelles makes it one of the peninsula’s most prominent monuments. The area also preserves important examples of Ottoman military architecture. Kilitbahir Fortress was commissioned by Sultan Mehmed II during the 15th century and built opposite Çimenlik Castle at one of the narrowest points of the Dardanelles. Its name means “Lock of the Sea,” reflecting its role in controlling maritime traffic through the strait. Close to the fortress is the Mecidiye Bastion, one of the coastal defensive positions used during the naval battle of 18 March 1915. Built during the reign of Sultan Abdülhamid II, it is closely associated with Corporal Seyit, known as Seyit Onbaşı, whose actions during the battle became one of the best-known stories of the Ottoman defence of the Dardanelles. Together, ANZAC Cove, Lone Pine, Chunuk Bair, Cape Helles, Kilitbahir Fortress and Mecidiye Bastion reveal both the human cost of the Gallipoli Campaign and the strategic importance of the Dardanelles.