Istanbul to Gallipoli

An early start at 7.15 am to beat the inevitable traffic jam in Istanbul saw us on the road to Gallipoli. Five hours travelling with a pit stop at Tekirdag. After a quick lunch at Eceabat, we started the Gallipoli tour at North Beach, the commemorative site just north of Anzac Cove. Then we visited Ari Burnu Cemetery, Anzac Cove, Simpson’s grave, Lone Pine Cemetery, The Nek, the Turkish Memorial to the 57th Regiment and Chunuk Bair.

Several sites are already covered with scaffolding or temporary ‘grandstand’ seating for Anzac Day ceremonies. In one sense it is a tribute that planning happens so early – still 4 weeks to go – but it did spoil the tranquillity and ‘sacred space’ aspect of these sites.

The photos we took don’t relay much; what Aussie has not seen countless photos of these sites. The awe of being here and the tragedy of what happened places these photos – past and present – into a context which has to be experienced. Words can’t convey… and similar clichés are so true here. But nevertheless, having said that, we will place some photos here for our recall.

The bronze sculpture at Eceabat is spectacular. It sits in a ‘Peace Park’ in the middle of town.

Seating is overtaking the Commemorative site near Anzac Cove. The Sphinx is majestic behind it.

Mustafa Kemal Ataturk was the successful commander of the Turkish forces at Gallipoli and went on to become the ‘Father of the Republic’ in the 1920s. This bit of text he wrote after the war is poignant and is on a large plaque at Ari Burnu.

Anzac Cove. The road is quite intrusive and damaging but I guess they had no alternative. The steepness of the bank behind the beach is still evident.

Simpson’s grave is just south of Anzac Cove

The road up to the top behind Anzac Cove has the bronze sculpture of the Turkish soldier carrying the wounded Allied soldier. It is also part of the sculpture at Eceabat mentioned above.

Lone Pine Memorial and cemetery marks the site of the bloodiest battles of the campaign and became the yardstick for comparison for the survivors of Gallipoli who went to the Somme. The rows of headstones are stark reminders of the costs of war. The temporary seating has taken over here as well.

Various trenches are evident – some of them reconstructed for tourists.

The Nek and Suvla Bay in the distance.

We stopped at a lookout just north of the Sphinx looking down to the Anzac Cove Commemorative site. What hope did they have of getting up some of these slopes.

Chunuk Bair, the highest point of the peninsula was in NZ hands for a brief period. Not hard to see why Mustafa Kemal Ataturk fought hard to get it back.