Çanakkale Martyrs' Memorial Monument

Address: Çanakkale Martyrs’ Memorial, Morto Bay (near Çanakkale), Gallipoli Peninsula, Çanakkale Province, Turkey

Website: https://www.canakkale.bel.tr/

Hours: Open 24 hours (visitor center hours vary)

Admission: Free (site access); museum/visitor center fees may apply

The Çanakkale Martyrs’ Memorial is a large commemorative monument on the Gallipoli Peninsula in Çanakkale Province, Turkey, dedicated to those who died in the 1915 Dardanelles (Gallipoli) campaign. It is one of Turkey’s main national monuments commemorating World War I losses in the campaign.

The memorial comprises a monumental arch structure set within landscaped grounds and is visited by pilgrims, relatives and students as part of visits to Gallipoli battlefields and cemeteries. The site is used for official commemoration ceremonies, particularly on national remembrance days.

The memorial was constructed and unveiled in the mid-20th century as part of state-sponsored commemoration projects; it replaced smaller memorials and became the principal national monument for the Gallipoli campaign.

The monument stands on the Gallipoli Peninsula near the Dardanelles strait in Çanakkale Province, overlooking parts of the campaign’s battlefields and cemeteries. It is accessed from the road network across the peninsula and is commonly visited together with nearby military cemeteries and historic sites.

• Commemorative purpose: The monument commemorates Ottoman and Turkish soldiers who fell during the 1915 Gallipoli campaign and stands as a focal point for national remembrance events held each year.

The memorial lies about 20-25 km from the city center of Çanakkale on the Gallipoli Peninsula. From Çanakkale take the Dardanelles coastal road toward Eceabat and follow signs for the Gallipoli battlefields; organized tour buses also run from Çanakkale and Istanbul. Parking is available near the memorial.

• Visit early in the morning when the light is soft and the memorial plaza feels vacant; afternoon tour buses tend to crowd the site.
• Walk the nearby Gallipoli beaches and trenches - the memorial is part of a wider landscape of memory best understood on foot.
• Respect the memorial: many Turks treat the site as sacred, and ceremonies take place on national remembrance days (notably April 25/May 18 depending on country).