A peninsula that is a memorial
The Gallipoli peninsula (Gelibolu in Turkish) forms the European shore of the Dardanelles, the strait that is Istanbul’s gateway to the Mediterranean. In 1915 the Allies tried to force their way through it to knock the Ottoman Empire out of the war and open a route to Russia. Eight months after the landings they withdrew, leaving more than 100,000 dead on both sides. The campaign shaped two nations on opposite sides of the trenches: the Anzac nations, Australia and New Zealand, for whom the Allied defeat became a founding story, and the Turks, who call it the Battle of Çanakkale. In Türkiye, the defence of the peninsula made the name of a young Ottoman officer, Mustafa Kemal, who eight years later would found the Republic.
Today the battlefields are protected as a historical park, and they look like no other battlefield: pine woods, a turquoise sea, thirty-one Commonwealth war cemeteries alongside the Turkish memorials, and a calm that makes it all the harder to imagine what happened here.
What to see
Anzac Cove and the landing
This is where Australian and New Zealand troops came ashore before dawn on 25 April 1915, in the wrong place: instead of the open beach they had planned for, they found steep cliffs. Every year on 25 April, Anzac Day, a Dawn Service is held at the Anzac Commemorative Site just north of the cove, attended by thousands of people who travel from Australia and New Zealand. To attend you need a free attendance pass, issued each year through the official registration run by the Australian and New Zealand governments, so check their websites well in advance.
Lone Pine and Chunuk Bair
Lone Pine is the main Australian memorial and cemetery, on the ridge where soldiers fought hand to hand with bayonets in August 1915. Higher up, Chunuk Bair marked the high point of the Allied advance: New Zealand troops captured it and held on for two days. Today the New Zealand memorial and a statue of Atatürk share the crest.
Conkbayırı and the Turkish memorials
Conkbayırı is simply the Turkish name for Chunuk Bair, and for Turkish visitors the hilltop belongs to Mustafa Kemal. From here he directed the counter-attack against the landing, with his famous order: “I don’t order you to attack, I order you to die.” The 57th Regiment Memorial honours a regiment that was almost wiped out, and the Çanakkale Martyrs’ Memorial, at the southern tip of the peninsula, shows what the campaign means to Türkiye.
The Çanakkale Epic Promotion Centre at Kabatepe
At Kabatepe, close to the landing beaches, the old museum has been replaced by the Çanakkale Epic Promotion Centre, whose 3D simulation galleries take you through the naval and land campaigns, mostly from the Turkish point of view. On the lower floor, a quieter, more sober exhibition houses the old museum’s collection: objects recovered from the trenches, such as letters, bullets that collided in mid-air and photographs. It is well worth seeing before you head out to the battlefields.
When to go
The best months are April to June and September to October; November is still good, just cooler and quieter. Around 25 April the peninsula fills up for Anzac Day and you need to book accommodation months ahead. The same goes for 18 March, the anniversary of the Turkish naval victory of 1915.
How to get there
The base is Çanakkale, on the Asian shore of the strait. From there you cross by ferry to Eceabat, on the peninsula, in about 25 minutes, or drive over the 1915 Çanakkale Bridge, north-east of the city. From Istanbul it is about four hours by road. The sensible plan is one day for Gallipoli and another for Troy, which lies about 30 km from Çanakkale.
What to eat
In Çanakkale, try fish from the strait (grilled sardines in season) and the town’s speciality, peynir helvası, a warm cheese sweet, often served with ice cream. In the villages of the peninsula, look out for local tomatoes and cheese.
How to fit it in
Gallipoli and Troy take two days from Çanakkale and make a natural bridge between Istanbul and the Aegean coast: leave Istanbul, spend the night in Çanakkale and carry on south to Pergamon, Izmir and Ephesus.