Gallipoli Peninsula Historical Site

Last updated

Azmak Cemetery, Gallipoli Peninsula Azmak Cemetery, Gallipoli Peninsula.JPG
Azmak Cemetery, Gallipoli Peninsula

The Gallipoli Peninsula Historical Site covers over 33,000 hectares in Gallipoli, Turkey. [1] The park was established in 1973 by the Turkish government and is included in the United Nations list of National Parks and Protected Areas. Gallipoli Peninsula Historical Site is home to memorials, graveyards, and commemorations of events that took place on the peninsula since the First World War.

Contents

In honor of over 500,000 soldiers who died in battle on Gallipoli, the Gallipoli Peninsula Historical National Park was established in 1973. In loving memory of the lives lost, the park consists of statues, memorials, and cemeteries. The surrounding area also provides scenic views of the Ariburnu Cliffs coupled with clear waters and beaches.

The Gallipoli Peninsula Historical Site is best known for the battles fought in the First World War. Most notably, the Canakkale Sea and shore battles fought in 1915. Various remnants can still be found at the park, such as building structures and sunken ships. The memorials remember soldiers from Turkey, England, France, Australia, and New Zealand. [2] [3] The Gallipoli peninsula and Gallipoli Campaign are especially significant in Turkish, Australian and New Zealand cultures due to the large percentage of each country's population who fought/ died during the war. [4] [5] Commonwealth war graves are cared for by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

The park is officially recognised as a historical site. In addition to its historical significance, the park also serves an important cultural significance. Countless archaeological findings have been discovered, many of which date back to 4000 BC. The combination of war history, ancient sites, and astounding scenery, has attracted thousands of visitors every year, making it one of the most famous sites in Turkey.

Because of the Gallipoli Peninsula Historical Site's distinct situation being located near three cultural zones, Anatolia, Balkans, and Aegean, it is isolated from each cultural zone's central area. This makes the park an accessible margin for all surrounding nations. In times of integration or distress, the park serves as a meeting ground for all three cultural zones.

History

The memorial at Anzac Cove, commemorating the loss of Ottoman and Anzac soldiers on the Gallipoli Peninsula Attaturkswords5.jpg
The memorial at Anzac Cove, commemorating the loss of Ottoman and Anzac soldiers on the Gallipoli Peninsula
Canakkale Martyrs' Memorial Canakkale Martyrs Memorial - panoramio.jpg
Çanakkale Martyrs' Memorial
Canakkale Martyrs' Memorial Canakkale Sehitler Abidesi.jpg
Çanakkale Martyrs' Memorial
57.Alay Sehitligi (57th Regiment) - Turkish memorial and cemetery in Gallipoli 57.Alay Sehitligi (57th Regiment) - Turkish memorial and cementery (8709797084).jpg
57.Alay Şehitliği (57th Regiment) - Turkish memorial and cemetery in Gallipoli

1914–1918

The Gallipoli Peninsula is filled with rich history since World War One. In 1914, conflicts between the Allied forces and the Ottomans began. The invasion of the Gallipoli Peninsula, which is known to have started the Gallipoli Campaign in World War One, is also known as Anzac Day. ANZAC day, 25 April 1915, is commemorated by Australians and New Zealanders due to the numerous lives lost. [6]

Allied forces entered the Gallipoli Peninsula with the plan of creating a new front in the east. [7] This front was meant to create easy access to supplies from Russia and the Mediterranean Sea. Leaders such as Winston Churchill, and Lord Kitchener supported the strategy to attack the Gallipoli Peninsula. [8] [9] This attack failed and hundreds of thousands of people died. Although exact numbers are still unknown, it is estimated that the total number of casualties reached half a million. [10]

Although the dead were buried and commemorated during the war, the Ottomans and Allied forces both began a more coordinated effort in 1918. [8] Today, there are 31 cemeteries and six commemorative monuments on the land with 23,000 graves being individually marked. [8]

1973–present

After many proposals to create a national historical park on the peninsula, Gallipoli Peninsula National Historical Park became formal on 2 November 1973. The formation of the park came about by the Foundation for Turkish Nature Conservation (TTKD), the United States National Park Service (USNPS), the State Planning Organisation in Turkey, and the Turkish National Parks Department.

Once the park opened, several plans for commemorative projects to be held in the Gallipoli Peninsula National Historical Park were made. Besides the Çanakkale Martyrs Memorial, architects tried to create as little impact on unsettling the land as possible. Even though this was the main goal, it is evident through the structures on the sight today that many structures interfered with the framework of the land.

In 1994, a fire in the Ariburnu (ANZAC Cove) region of the peninsula resulted in the ruin of 4,049 hectares of forest. [8] This fire sparked the Turkish government to create an inventory of the peninsula's natural and cultural resources. Along with this inventory, research and new development plans began. The project team of urban planners from the Middle East Technical University (METU), led by Raci Bademli, criticised the previous development which caused destruction of culturally valuable land and argued for a new plan. Part of this proposal was to name the peninsula a Peace Park. This label would result in less invasive development and maintaining the peninsula's landscape. "The International Gallipoli Peninsula Peace Park Ideas and Design Competition" was held in 1998, and was won by Lasse Brøgger and Anne-Stine Reine, Norwegian architects, whose project won awards for its innovation, but never was completed [11]

In 1998, Gallipoli Peninsula National Historical Park was named a World Heritage Site. A year after this, the Australian and New Zealand governments found their citizens having an increasing interest in visiting the park. This sparked the proposal for an ANZAC commemorative site and yearly ceremony. The Australian and New Zealand governments created a 1.2 million dollar plan to create a new commemorative cite. At the same time, the Turkish government pledged 100 million dollars to improve the infrastructure of the land.

What was meant to be a coordinated project between Australia, New Zealand, and Turkey, became a series of disagreements. [12] The disaster of the arguments caused disruption in the landscape, cultural heritage, and even human remains. [13] Although it was the result of disagreements between all countries involved, the Australian government admitted its faults.

In 2005, more projects commemorating the events during the First World War began. New Turkish cemeteries were discovered and therefore were developed for public view. More parking lots and wider roads for tourist buses were also created to increase tourism infrastructure.

Geography and landscape

The landscape design of the Gallipoli Peninsula Historical National Park was disputed between hundreds of architects since the end of World War I. As stated by architect Tony Watkins, "A visit to Gallipoli has the potential to change people, who they are, and how they see the world. A visit has the potential to lift them up so that they might see beyond their existing horizons. This is no ordinary place. The strong Gallipoli landscape has a great deal to say. A 5,000 years history." [14]

Gallipoli is located in Thrace, Turkey, and is bordered by the Aegean Sea on its west and the Dardanelles straight on its east. The Gallipoli peninsula is located on the European part of the country and is known for its rich history from even before World War I. The peninsula stretches around 60 kilometres southwest into the Aegean Sea and is one to two kilometres wide at any given point. [15]

Battle of Gallipoli - map of Turkish dispositions, April 1915 Battle of Gallipoli - map of Turkish dispositions, April 1915.jpg
Battle of Gallipoli – map of Turkish dispositions, April 1915
Anzac commemorative site, Gallipoli Anzac commemorative site, Gallipoli, Turkey.jpg
Anzac commemorative site, Gallipoli

Sites

As a part of the "Gallipoli Peninsula Historical National Park Long-Term development Plan", the names of 60,000 soldiers were written on 1,670 concrete slabs in commemoration of their deaths. [11] This monument was built over 8,000 square meters of land. Along with the construction of the slabs, landscape designers also planted cypress trees to preserve the landscape and scenery of the land previously covered in asphalt. This grave site is one of many historically significant sites on the peninsula.

National heritage on the peninsula includes, 50 Turkish martyrs’ cemeteries, 29 Turkish memorials and epigraphic monuments, 34 cemeteries and memorials, 6 fortresses, 14 bastions, 32 archaeological sites, and 36 underwater wrecks. [8] [16] The full list of war cemeteries and memorials on the Gallipoli Peninsula can be found here.

A popular pastime for Australian and New Zealand visitors on the Gallipoli peninsula is the ‘ANZAC Walk’. This two-kilometre walk takes tourists through 11 of the areas in which the ANZACs were primarily located during the war. [17] Audio tours and guides are also very popular in the national park.

Russell's Top

Russell's Top is a stretch of plateau which, for a portion of the Gallipoli Campaign, served as the northern front line of the ANZACs. The plateau is full of a series of trench systems which are still clearly visible today. At the north-western end of the plateau is the Nek. The Nek was held by the Ottoman-Turks and is a link to the Second Ridge. The Second Ridge was also held by the Allies but was never joined with Russell's Top due to the Turkish control of the Nek. [18]

Currently, there have been issues with tourists creating their own walking tracks through the trenches, disturbing the historical significance of the land. Very few artefacts were located, but barbed wire, small ceramic pieces, and small metal food containers were found sticking out of the land. Most of the elaborate trench system is known to have existed but can no longer be found with the remaining areas displaying the consequences of erosion.

Turkish Quinn's

Across from Quinn's Post, which was held by the ANZACS, is Turkish Quinn's. Turkish Quinn's was a post controlled by the Ottoman Turks. From the first day of the Gallipoli Campaign, the Turks were able to hold this site until the Allied Forces retreated from the peninsula. The Turkish and ANZAC trenches, at certain points in the area, had less than 5 metres between them. [18] During the Gallipoli Campaign, both sides believed these trenches to be the most unsafe spots on the peninsula.

The outlines of the trenches at Turkish Quinn's are still highly visible. The site is now covered with new growth and shrubs. Although the outlines of the trenches are clear, the trenches are mostly filled. This is a result of the Turks’ decision to come back to the war zone and distribute unburied bodies in the trenches. As of 2005, no artefacts have been found in the area. [18] There is a tourist access road between Turkish Quinn's and Quinn's that would likely have resulted in the removal of surface level artefacts. This area, is what was known as the "killing zone of no mans land". [18]

German Officers' Trench

Similar to Turkish Quinn's, the outlines of the battle areas of German Officers’ Trench are still highly visible. The site was given this name due to the position of two German soldiers directing troops on the first day of the Gallipoli Campaign. There were no artefacts found at this site, but trenches were again, backfilled.

Turkish trenches at Lone Pine

The Turkish trenches at Lone Pine were a part of the Turkish front line. Originally, they were meant to be reserve trenches, but after the August Offensive and the Australian advance on the main front lines, the Lone Pine trenches took their place.

In a preliminary archaeological survey of the battlefield, the site was found to have clear complex trench systems still in place with minimal erosion and backfilling. [18] Similar to the other sites on the peninsula, metal cans and small ceramic pieces were of the few artefacts found in the area.

View of Anzac Cove - Gallipoli Peninsula - Dardanelles - Turkey - 01 (5734713946) View of Anzac Cove - Gallipoli Peninsula - Dardanelles - Turkey - 01 (5734713946).jpg
View of Anzac Cove – Gallipoli Peninsula – Dardanelles – Turkey – 01 (5734713946)

Future

The Gallipoli Peninsula Historical Site is not only a place for the commemoration of the lives lost during World War I, but a possible location for ecotourism. The park's "war history, biological diversity, coastal morphology, and climate" all have potential to attract visitors. [19]

The Çanakkale Wars and Gallipoli Historic Region Directorate (ÇATAB) controls the administration and long-term planning for the Gallipoli peninsula. [8] Their goal is to “Develop as an open-air museum the Gelibolu (Gallipoli) Historical Area, where we paid the price during the Çanakkale Wars for our national unity and togetherness; to protect this historical area’s emotional, historical, and cultural values, along with its nature, using a universal perspective, a sense of responsibility for the future generations, and cooperation with the veteran villages”. [8] [20]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anzac Day</span> National day of remembrance in Australia and New Zealand on 25 April

Anzac Day is a national day of remembrance in Australia and New Zealand that broadly commemorates all Australians and New Zealanders "who served and died in all wars, conflicts, and peacekeeping operations" and "the contribution and suffering of all those who have served". Observed on 25 April each year, Anzac Day was originally devised to honour the members of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) who served in the Gallipoli Campaign, their first engagement in the First World War (1914–1918).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gallipoli campaign</span> Military campaign against the Ottoman Empire during World War I

The Gallipoli campaign was a military campaign in the First World War that took place on the Gallipoli peninsula, from 19 February 1915 to 9 January 1916. The Entente powers, Britain, France and the Russian Empire, sought to weaken the Ottoman Empire, one of the Central Powers, by taking control of the Ottoman straits. This would expose the Ottoman capital at Constantinople to bombardment by Allied battleships and cut it off from the Asian part of the empire. With Turkey defeated, the Suez Canal would be safe and a year-round Allied supply route could be opened through the Black Sea to warm-water ports in Russia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of the Nek</span> World War I battle of the Gallipoli campaign

The Battle of the Nek was a minor battle that took place on 7 August 1915, during the Gallipoli campaign of World War I. "The Nek" was a narrow stretch of ridge on the Gallipoli Peninsula. The name derives from the Afrikaans word for a "mountain pass" but the terrain itself was a perfect bottleneck and easy to defend, as had been proven during an Ottoman attack in June. It connected Australian and New Zealand trenches on the ridge known as "Russell's Top" to the knoll called "Baby 700" on which the Ottoman defenders were entrenched.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Lone Pine</span> Battle of the Gallipoli Campaign in WWI

The Battle of Lone Pine was fought between Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) and Ottoman Empire forces during the Gallipoli Campaign of the First World War, between 6 and 10 August 1915. The battle was part of a diversionary attack to draw Ottoman attention away from the main assaults being conducted by British, Indian and New Zealand troops around Sari Bair, Chunuk Bair and Hill 971, which became known as the August Offensive.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Landing at Anzac Cove</span> 1915 battle in the First World War

The landing at Anzac Cove on Sunday, 25 April 1915, also known as the landing at Gaba Tepe and, to the Turks, as the Arıburnu Battle, was part of the amphibious invasion of the Gallipoli Peninsula by the forces of the British Empire, which began the land phase of the Gallipoli Campaign of the First World War.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ANZAC Cove</span> Cove on the Gallipoli peninsula in Turkey

Anzac Cove is a small cove on the Gallipoli peninsula in Turkey. It became famous as the site of World War I landing of the ANZACs on 25 April 1915. The cove is 600 metres (2,000 ft) long, bounded by the headlands of Arıburnu to the north and Little Arıburnu, known as Hell Spit, to the south. Following the landing at Anzac Cove, the beach became the main base for the Australian and New Zealand troops for the eight months of the Gallipoli campaign.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kemal Atatürk Memorial, Canberra</span> War memorial in Canberra, Australia

The Kemal Atatürk Memorial is a memorial directly opposite the Australian War Memorial on Anzac Parade, the principal memorial and ceremonial parade in Canberra, the capital of Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lone Pine (tree)</span>

The Lone Pine was a solitary tree on the Gallipoli Peninsula in Turkey, which marked the site of the Battle of Lone Pine in August 1915. It was a Turkish or East Mediterranean pine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Quinn's Post Commonwealth War Graves Commission Cemetery</span> WWI CWGC cemetery in Gallipoli, Turkey

Quinn's Post Cemetery is a Commonwealth War Graves Commission cemetery from World War I in the former Anzac sector of the Gallipoli Peninsula, Turkey. The battles at Gallipoli, some of whose participating soldiers are buried at this cemetery, were an eight-month campaign fought by Commonwealth and French forces against Turkish forces in an attempt to force Turkey out of the war, to relieve the deadlock of the Western Front (France/Belgium) and to open a supply route to Russia through the Dardanelles and the Black Sea.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Çanakkale Martyrs' Memorial</span> Monument in Turkey

The Çanakkale Martyrs' Memorial is a war memorial commemorating the service of about 253,000 Turkish soldiers who participated at the Battle of Gallipoli, which took place from April 1915 to December 1915 during the First World War. It is located within the Gallipoli Peninsula Historical National Park on Hisarlık Hill in Morto Bay at the southern end of the Gallipoli peninsula in Çanakkale Province, Turkey.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">57th Infantry Regiment Memorial</span> Turkish war memorial

The 57th Infantry Regiment Memorial is a Turkish war memorial commemorating the men of the Ottoman 57th Infantry Regiment who died during the Gallipoli campaign.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lone Pine Cemetery</span> From Commonwealth War Graves Commission

Lone Pine Cemetery is a Commonwealth War Graves Commission cemetery dating from World War I in the former Anzac sector of the Gallipoli Peninsula, Turkey and the location of the Lone Pine Memorial, one of five memorials on the peninsula which commemorate servicemen of the former British Empire killed in the campaign but who have no known grave.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Australia–Turkey relations</span> Bilateral relations

Foreign relations exist between the Commonwealth of Australia and the Republic of Turkey. Diplomatic relations between the two countries were established in 1967. Australia has had an embassy in Ankara since 1968, a consulate-general in Istanbul and a consulate in Çanakkale. Turkey has had an embassy in Canberra since 1967 and two consulates-general in Melbourne and Sydney.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">57th Infantry Regiment (Ottoman Empire)</span> Former Ottoman military unit

The 57th Infantry Regiment or simply 57th Regiment was a regiment of the Ottoman Army during World War I. In response to the landing at Anzac Cove of Australian and New Zealand forces on 25 April 1915 the 57th Regiment counterattacked, slowed the Allied advance and lost about half of its personnel. Mustafa Kemal later noted that the 57th Regiment was "a famous regiment this, because it was completely wiped out".

There are approximately 12,000 Australians in Turkey. Of these, the overwhelming majority are in the capital Ankara, and the remainder are mostly in Istanbul. Australian expatriates in Turkey form one of the largest overseas Australian groups in Europe and Asia. The vast majority of Australian nationals in Turkey are Turkish Australians.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle for Baby 700</span> Battle of the Gallipoli campaign in May 1915

The battle for Baby 700, was an engagement fought during the Gallipoli Campaign of the First World War, between the forces of the British Empire and the Ottoman Turkish Empire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Third attack on Anzac Cove</span> Battle in 1915 during the First World War

The third attack on Anzac Cove was an engagement during the Gallipoli Campaign of the First World War. The attack was conducted by the forces of the Ottoman Turkish Empire, against the forces of the British Empire defending the cove.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle for No.3 Post</span> Fought during the Gallipoli Campaign in World War I

The battle for No.3 Post was fought during the Gallipoli Campaign in the First World War, between the forces of the New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade and the Turkish 19th Division.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Respect to Mehmetçik Monument</span> Tribute to Turkish soldiers at Gallipoli

The Respect to Mehmetçik Memorial is a monument in the Gallipoli peninsula, Çanakkale Province, Turkey. It is located in the Eceabat district of Çanakkale Province in the southern end of Albayrak heights within the Gallipoli Peninsula Historical Site which is facing the Anzac Cove. Mehmetçik is a common name given to soldiers in a war, akin to G.I. in the US.

References

  1. ↑ "GELIBOLU (GALLIPOLI) PENINSULA HISTORICAL NATIONAL PARK" . Retrieved 31 May 2019.
  2. ↑ corporateName=Commonwealth Parliament; address=Parliament House, Canberra. "Chapter 1 - The Significance of the Gallipoli Peninsula". www.aph.gov.au. Retrieved 31 May 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  3. ↑ "Çanakkale: On Gallipoli Campaign's trail". Hürriyet Daily News. Retrieved 31 May 2019.
  4. ↑ "Gallipoli in brief - The Gallipoli campaign | NZHistory, New Zealand history online". nzhistory.govt.nz. Retrieved 31 May 2019.
  5. ↑ Curry, Andrew (13 November 2013). "Winston Churchill Thought Victory at Gallipoli Would Bring a Quick End to the Great War. He Couldn't Have Been More Wrong". Slate Magazine. Retrieved 31 May 2019.
  6. ↑ "Explore Anzac area sites | The Anzac Portal". anzacportal.dva.gov.au. Retrieved 31 May 2019.
  7. ↑ "Battle of Gallipoli". HISTORY. Retrieved 31 May 2019.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Thys-Senocak, L (2019). Divided spaces, contested pasts: The heritage of the Gallipoli Peninsula. London; New York: Taylor et Francis Group.
  9. ↑ "Gallipoli Campaign | Summary, Map, Casualties, Significance, & Facts". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 31 May 2019.
  10. ↑ "The cost | The Australian War Memorial". www.awm.gov.au. Retrieved 31 May 2019.
  11. 1 2 "Renovation project for historic Gallipoli Peninsula". Turkish Daily News. 12 March 2007.
  12. ↑ "Gallipoli: The lost vision". The Sydney Morning Herald. 15 October 2005.
  13. ↑ Aktar, Ayhan; West, Brad. "Gallipoli commemorations of Turkish youth tell us much about politics in Turkey". The Conversation. Retrieved 31 May 2019.
  14. ↑ Tian, Tina (December 2014). "Lines of memories: a landscape design proposal for the Gallipoli Peninsula Historical National Park, Turkey". Landscape Architecture Frontiers: 134+ – via GALE.
  15. ↑ "Where, What and Why Gallipoli – The Gallipoli Association". www.gallipoli-association.org. Retrieved 31 May 2019.
  16. ↑ "Gallipoli Campaign Historic Site | Gallipoli Peninsula, Turkey Gallipoli Peninsula". www.lonelyplanet.com. Retrieved 31 May 2019.
  17. ↑ "A walk around Anzac battlefield sites | The Anzac Portal". anzacportal.dva.gov.au. Retrieved 31 May 2019.
  18. 1 2 3 4 5 1.Cameron 2.Donlon, 1.David 2.Denise (2005). "A preliminary archaeological survey of the ANZAC Gallipoli Battlefields of 1915". Australian Historical Archaeology; Sydney. 23: 131–138 – via ProQuest Central.
  19. ↑ Kelkit1 Celik2 Esbah3, Abdullah1 Sezgin2 Hayriye3 (May 2010). "Ecotourism Potential of Gallipoli Peninsula Historical National Park". Journal of Coastal Research. 26: 562–568. doi:10.2112/09-1181.1. S2CID   129110407 – via ProQuest Central.
  20. ↑ "Misyonumuz Vizyonumuz". catab.kulturturizm.gov.tr. Retrieved 24 May 2019.

Coordinates: 40°10′13.156″N26°22′3.601″E / 40.17032111°N 26.36766694°E / 40.17032111; 26.36766694

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.