ANZAC Commemorative Site, Gallipoli, turkey

Bordered between the escarpment of Gallipoli peninsula and the Aegean Sea, this globally significant site was unveiled in 2000 by the Prime Ministers of Australia and New Zealand. On this site, the ANZAC Day Dawn Service is held every year on the 25th of April that memorialises the date of the landing by allied forces in 1915. First observed in 1916, ANZAC Day became a day of national significance and remembrance. The site, situated on the former battlefield of Gallipoli, is recognised as a unique place by the international community, particularly Australia, New Zealand and Turkey where the legacy of the Anzac spirit is celebrated and commemorated. The Dawn Service draws over 20,000 people from around the world. It is a place of reconciliation and pilgrimage drawing visitation on a year-round basis.

The design of the site is defined by a broad open grassed glade leading from the escarpment to the sea. Two intersecting ellipses describe the extent of the glade, generating a loci centring geometry. The loci are intersected with two low parallel stone walls, of which one is sited by the sea and is inscribed with the bronze letters ‘ANZAC’ forming the focal element of the site. The second wall defines the cobbled road that traverses the site and facilitates views of the Aegean Sea and the broader surrounds. Interpretation panels are positioned on this wall, outlining the history of the site and the role of the Gallipoli campaign in World War I. Native shrubs frame the site leading to the broader landscape of the Gallipoli Peninsula Historical Site that includes Anzac Cove, Ari Burnu and the historic places of the Gallipoli campaign.