Gallipoli: underwater cemetery of warships in Turkey (16 photos + 1 video)

The historic Gallipoli Underwater Park off the coast of Turkey is a unique place underwater that preserves the stories of the past. People come here from all over the world to explore the underwater graveyard of warships. This unique museum features 12 warship wrecks and two natural reefs, accessible through 14 dive points.





The Gallipoli Historical Underwater Park is a one-of-a-kind underwater museum located over an area of 150 kilometers near the Turkish port of Canakkale, the site of the First World War battles. The park is home to 12 warship wrecks and two natural reefs that can be accessed through 14 different dive points. This is a famous and incredibly interesting place for diving tourism: diving under the water and exploring the mighty battleships, visitors are transported back 106 years.



Pictured is HMS Lundy, a minesweeper commissioned by the British government during the First World War.

Once upon a time, the battles for the Dardanelles took place here between the troops of the Ottoman Empire and the Allied forces. One of the exhibits is the HMS Majestic, a British royal battleship that was used during the fierce Battle of Gallipoli in 1915. Approximately 131 thousand people died in the battle, including 45 thousand Allied soldiers and 86 thousand Turks. HMS Majestic was sunk by a torpedo fired by a German submarine off Cape Helles. As a result of the ship's sinking, 49 crew members were killed.





Divers explore the British vessel HMS Majestic

HMS Majestic has become one of the most popular exhibits among diving tourists. It is located at a depth of about 24 meters and is relatively easy to reach. Some of the exhibits are located a little further: for example, the warship HMS Triumph lies at the greatest depth among all the others - 71 meters.



Warship HMS Lundy

The Gallipoli Historic Park, opened in 2021, is one of the best preserved war zones in the world and is therefore included in the tentative list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. It is also one of the most important diving centers in the world. Here you can not only look at sunken ships underwater, but also study their 3D models, and while diving explore a variety of fish and other aquatic inhabitants.



Part of the Turkish battleship "Mesudiye"

"It's like a time machine that takes you back to 1915 and the First World War. It's a great opportunity for us to explore the past. During the dive, I thought about how and when those ships sank and felt the tension of war," says Savas Caracas , a diver and documentarian who was one of the first to examine shipwrecks in 2021.



HMS Louis, a British Royal Navy ship sunk during the Battle of Gallipoli



HMS Majestic





HMS Louis









Diver explores HMS Majestic