The memorial commemorates the casualties from the initial naval engagement on November 3, 1914.
This site marks the location of the Ertuğrul Battery, which was the first Ottoman position engaged by Allied warships.
The location is geographically significant as the southernmost tip of the Gallipoli Peninsula.
It honors the soldiers killed four months before the major land-based Allied amphibious landings began in April 1915.
The First Martyrs' Memorial commemorates the Ottoman soldiers who fell during the initial 1914 naval bombardment of the Dardanelles during World War I. It is located at the tip of the Gallipoli Peninsula in Seddülbahir, overlooking the entrance to the strait. The site marks the point of the first enemy contact and casualties during the Gallipoli Campaign. It serves as a precursor to the larger Çanakkale Martyrs' Memorial located further east. The structure consists of a stone monument set within a landscaped memorial area. Visitors can observe the strategic geography of the Dardanelles entrance from this vantage point. It remains a site of national significance, frequently visited by those touring the wider Gallipoli Historical Site.
The edge of the monument area looking out toward the Aegean Sea and the Dardanelles strait entrance.
Combine this visit with the nearby Seddülbahir Fortress for a complete historical context.
Bring binoculars to view the narrowest part of the Dardanelles where major naval engagements occurred.
Wind conditions can be severe at the tip of the peninsula, so dress in layers.
Do not attempt to walk along the restricted military zones that border parts of the peninsula.
Maintain a quiet and respectful demeanor as this is a war memorial site.
