Gallipoli.
To some of the world’s populations, the name of this town is associated with bloodshed, war, and loss. To others, like most Americans, it means nothing. It’s a name not immediately recognized if at all. But to Australians, New Zealanders and Turks, it’s like Normandy or Pearl Harbor. Hallowed ground. A place we’d never forget. A reminder of what we would never let happen again.
I’ll admit that before 2011, I had very little knowledge of this place or its grim history. But soon after I started working at a bar in Sydney, it was time for the country’s biggest drinking holiday, ANZAC Day. I woke up early, as the pub would open to patrons at 10 am.
This seemed early for drinking, but many were already up for the Dawn Service at Martin Place. Thousands more Australians and Kiwis were already awake for the same service in Gallipoli. The holiday honors the servicemen who died in combat on that fateful day in April and it is common to spend the day having a few beers and a sausage sizzle while playing “two up.”
I got the chance to visit Gallipoli, located four hours from Istanbul, as a part of my overland Turkey tour with BusAbout. I was joined by 30 or so Australians and South Africans. I knew my visit there wouldn’t be as significant as it was for them, but I still wanted to learn more about the place and what happened there. Our guide first stopped at the shallow cove where the ANZACs planned on landing, pictured above.
But without one significant error, this town might not be important and this Australian national holiday might not exist. On April 25, 1915, the Australian and New Zealand forces landed at what is now known as ANZAC Cove, a low beach met with high peaks. This made it easy for the Ottoman forces to establish higher ground. By the end of the day, over 8,000 Allied forces were killed or wounded.
But the Turks suffered too, with some 14,000 casualties in this one campaign. Our guide told stories of the relationship between the Turks and the Australians, as if they were brothers who didn’t want to be fighting one another. But their responsibilities were to their countries. They both died here, making this a shared space for mourning. And this war forever changed the fate of both countries, especially Turkey.
One man’s name is more widely recognized than any other in Turkey: Atatürk. The airport bears his name, as do countless other buildings in the country. His image is in most government buildings and you can visit his tomb in Ankara.
The “father of the Turks” and former president of the country was firstly a commander of the 19th division during the Gallipoli campaign. This war, as tragic as it was, put Turkey on the path to where it is today, a modern country with traditional roots and more national pride than any other place I’ve visited.
If you’re planning your own trip to Gallipoli, you should know that there’s much more to this national park than one cove. There are a number of memorials along the coastline, but ANZAC Cove has the most prominent.
Also stop by Lone Pine Cemetery, where the majority of ANZAC troops are buried and where the Dawn Service is held. And for a fully rounded experience, visit the Turkish cemetery where the nationals come to pay their respects to their fallen.
Have you visited Gallipoli in Turkey?
I visited Gallipoli as a part of my BusAbout Turkey Adventure, which was partially sponsored. You can visit Gallipoli with dozens of tour operators, as well as for ANZAC Day.
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