About the City
GALLIPOLI PENINSULA HISTORICAL NATIONAL PARK
To honour the many thousands of soldiers who lost their lives
on the Gallipoli Peninsula during World War I, the area is now a national park
preserving the memory of that time in history. It includes memorials, monuments,
cemeteries, and the natural beauty of the Ariburnu Cliffs and Salt Lake. Driving
around the park today, the visitor is struck by the peaceful atmosphere of the
pristine coastal forest, green hills, sandy beaches and blue water, in sharp
contrast to the fierce battles which were once fought there. All visitors feel
the special spirit of this place which played such a significant role in the
birth of the Turkish nation.
The huge Turkish memorial at the tip of the peninsula can be
seen immediately upon entering the Straits. The French and British memorials,
along with other Turkish memorials and Seddulbahir Castle , are also nearby.
In the ANZAC Cove is one of the most moving memorials in the area: the ANZAC
Cemetery and the Ariburnu Monument on which are inscribed the words of Ataturk,
capturing the heart of this area. Every year on 25th April, ANZAC day is
commemorated with ceremonies attended by visitors from all around the world.
"THOSE HEROES THAT SHED THEIR BLOOD AND LOST THEIR LIVES...
YOU ARE NOW LYING IN THE SOIL OF A FRIENDLY COUNTRY.
THEREFORE REST IN PEACE,
THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE JOHNNIES AND THE
MEHMETS TO US WHERE THEY LIE SIDE BY SIDE
HERE IN THIS COUNTRY OF OURS...
YOU, THE MOTHERS,
WHO SENT THEIR SONS FROM FAR AWAY COUNTRIES,
WIPE AWAY YOUR TEARS;
YOUR SONS ARE NOW LYING IN OUR BOSOM AND ARE AT PEACE.
AFTER HAVING LOST THEIR LIVES ON THIS LAND
THEY HAVE BECOME OUR SONS AS WELL."
(MUSTAFA KEMAL ATATURK, 1934)
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