Hi friends, while scrolling through my gallery a while ago, I came across photos from a memorial site that I completely forgot to tell you about. I think it's not too late to fix that and today I want to share our trip to the memorial dedicated to Turkish soldiers. This memorial cemetery is located in a stunning location near the city of Çanakkale and is surrounded by beautiful nature. I believe it is a very fitting area for such a significant memorial. The smell of pine trees and fresh air filled my lungs and it was easy to breathe.
We started our journey from the "parking lot" in front of which there is a monolith with the following inscription: "Keep it as clean as possible. Allah founded the religion of Islam on cleanliness. Only the clean will enter paradise" - Hadisi Sherif. Very powerful words that set you up for the upcoming " excursion" of the memorial.
There is a small cafe and a small souvenir store on the territory, but as we came here in winter, when this place is empty and except for one local cat we didn't see anyone else, the store and cafe were closed until the right time, when there will be much more tourists. But what really catches your eye is the tall monument dedicated to two Turkish soldiers. Under two green pine trees, a tragic scene is recreated, where even in the worst of times "dost kara günde belli olur" as the Turks would say (a friend in need is a friend indeed).
It was near this monument when we met our fluffy guide*, who was more than happy to give us a tour and accompanied us every step of the way. It was a great surprise for us to see a lonely cat, as there is no one here at all.
White marble stairs led us to the cemetery-memorial, where were 11 rows of tombstones and thousands of engraved names of dead soldiers on cold pieces of stone. The sheer scale I saw gave me goosebumps. How hard it is to realize this incredibly huge number of dead Turkish military soldiers in bloody battles for their territories...
"Our dear martyrs, you gave your lives for this land and thanks to you we achieved victory, now you rest in peace" says the message on a black piece of granite under the monument dedicated to a division of medical troops who proudly carry a banner with these powerful words.
And this is what the main entrance of the memorial looks like, with two soldier guards on either side, with a Turkish flag and majestic white columns. And behind those columns you can see hundreds of tombstones that scream their terrible and tragic history. It was unusually windy that day that we could hear nothing but the wind. And after walking a few steps we came across white information tables that tell how and what kind of medical care injured soldiers received during the bloody battles.
And it says "During the Battle of Dardanelles, the first medical treatment for soldiers who were injured during the battle was simple and short...". And at this point I realized how frustrating it was that the victims were not given proper attention, even though on the other hand, the medical staff could have helped more soldiers who were wounded. I think this is a very difficult issue to discuss.
Friends, I hope you will share your impressions of what you read below in the comments. As you know, I like different historical places, I like to study history live, not only by pictures in books. After all, the experience when you see everything live with your own eyes is completely different. I leave the photos below for you to get a better idea of the atmosphere. See you soon, friends. Bye-bye!
