Center shows reality of war with 3-D exhibitions

ÇANAKKALE - Anatolia News Agency

At the Çanakkale Legend Demonstration Center, there are 11 animation rooms portraying the victory, two of which are three dimensional.

The Çanakkale Legend Demonstration Center opened a year ago in the Gallipoli Peninsula Historical National Park and has received nearly 200,000 visitors since opening. The manager of the Gallipoli Historical National Park, Ozan Hacıalioğlu, said this center was one of the prestige projects of the Ministry of Forestry and Waterworks.

The center aims to be a memorial for fallen soldiers and war veterans and to show youth how the fatherland was saved from enemy occupation. “We have brought the attention of society to the Gallipoli peninsula with the help of the investments made by the state in the past seven years. We are hosting an average of 2 million people on the peninsula annually. National solidarity, spirituality and national unity are developed with the help of area guides who explain the Çanakkale Victory to visitors. Çanakkale has always been the building block of our nation and is the basis of the Turkish Republic. We can live freely and comfortably today thanks to our grandfathers who gave their lives for this land in the past. We believe that the Çanakkale Legend Demonstration Center will have more visitors in 2015, the 100th anniversary of the Çanakkale Victory.”

Going back to 98 years ago

There are 11 animation rooms portraying the Çanakkale Victory, two of which are three dimensional.
The first room is called “Entering the War” and includes the reasons why the Ottomans entered the battle. A room called “Nusret Mine Layer” tells the story of how the craft changed the fate of the war. The third room has the title “War Plans of the Allies” and shows the English capital ship Ocean and the cannons of the Turkish bastions with a three dimensional view. The shaking caused by the cannons is created by a mechanical system so that it gives a sense of reality to visitors. The “Mecidiye Bastion Room” contains the scene of Lance Cpl. Seyit carrying a cannon ball, and this bravery is relived in a sense. The room called “Turning Point” displays the command of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, “I do not command you to fight, I command you to die.” “The Trench Warfare Room” enables visitors to watch a war scene. “Gallipoli from the Vault of Heaven” lets visitors have a rest and watch the scenes on the ceiling. “Çanakkale Cannot Be Trespassed” is the room where one can observe the retirement of the Anzac and British solidarities. The last part of the center is called “From 1915 to Today.” This part includes the developments Turkey had in education, healthcare, industry, agriculture, energy, military and politics with pictures and photos.

There is a conference hall with a capacity of 147 people and a museum of war materials used in the Çanakkale Victory in the middle of the center, which has an area of 8,616 meter squares. The center has materials for visitors in nine different languages including Turkish, German, Arabic, French, Chinese and Japanese.