Gelibolu

Its position along the sea routes connecting Asia and Europe has made the peninsula strategically important throughout history. However, the event that most profoundly shaped Gelibolu’s place in world history was the Çanakkale Battles of 1915, fought during the First World War. The naval and land battles between the Ottoman Empire and the Allied Powers ended, after months of intense fighting, with the withdrawal of Allied forces. This struggle became one of the major turning points not only in Turkish history but also in the history of warfare worldwide.

The cemeteries, monuments, trenches and battlefields that stand across Gelibolu today preserve traces of the struggle that took place there. Şehitler Abidesi, built in memory of the soldiers who lost their lives in the Çanakkale Battles, has become one of the peninsula’s most important landmarks. Locations such as Conkbayırı, Arıburnu, Anafartalar and Kilitbahir witnessed some of the fiercest stages of the conflict. Rumeli Mecidiye Tabyası, where Seyit Onbaşı carried a massive artillery shell on his back to the gun, also holds a special place in the memory of the battle. These lands preserve not only the record of military achievements but also the sacrifices, losses and memories of those who faced one another on the battlefield.

Gelibolu’s historical character extends far beyond its battlefields. Kilitbahir Kalesi and Namazgâh Tabyası are important structures that demonstrate the role played over centuries in defending the Çanakkale Boğazı. The peninsula’s coastlines, villages and natural landscapes form a distinctive geographical setting within this historical heritage. Today, Gelibolu Tarihî Alanı contains monuments and cemeteries commemorating not only Turkish soldiers but also soldiers from other countries who lost their lives here. In this respect, the peninsula is a shared place of history and remembrance that preserves the traces of war and passes the memory of past events on to future generations.