Çanakkale history receiving keen interest
ÇANAKKALE - Anatolia News Agency
The Çanakkale Epic Promotion Center features the Battle of Çanakkale in eight languages. DHA Photo
Nearly 30,000 people have visited the Çanakkale Epic Promotion Center, which was opened on June 7 by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in the northwestern province of Çanakkale.The center tells the story of the Battle of Çanakkale using various simulation and presentation techniques, and is located in the Gelibolu Peninsula National Park. Visitors aged 65 and older, 7 or younger, martyrs’ and veterans’ families, and orphans are able to visit the center free of charge.
The center is one of the most important projects carried out by the Ministry of Forest and Water Affairs to date in the park, where the spirit of the Battle of Çanakkale is preserved, the park’s director, Ozan Hacıalioğlu, said. Visitors 65 and older, 7 or younger, martyrs’ and veterans’ families, and orphans can visit the center free of charge.
“From those [free-of-charge] categories, 4,003 people have visited the center since it opened. Other visitors have included 13,991 students, 10,535 Turkish citizens and 748 foreigners,” Hacıalioğlu said.
Sea warfare plans belonging to the allied powers, which are displayed in the center’s third hall, as well as artillery- fire simulations in the fourth hall especially transport visitors back 97 years ago to the battle scene, and many say they leave the center very pleased and with unforgettable feelings, Hacıalioğlu said.
As many as 1,578 visitors have visited the center in one day, Hacıalioğlu said. “It opens at 8:30 a.m. and is open until the evening hours. The occupancy rate reaches 100 percent every day. Although reservations are necessary, we do not want to refuse walk-in customers. This is why the interval between visitor groups has decreased to 10 minutes. Each day 35 group sessions take place, and each session takes 65 minutes. Each group includes 50 people.”
About the center
The Çanakkale Epic Promotion Center has four floors, two of which are underground, and a total area of 8,616 square meters. The center cost nearly 80 million Turkish Liras to build. It includes simulation rooms, a conference hall, a permanent collection museum, a café and administrative units.
With the help of special glasses, visitors can see scenes from the Battle of Çanakkale featured in 3D in two different halls, where they are also told stories of heroism from the war. The presentation is translated into eight languages including Turkish, German, Arabic, French, English, Italian, Spanish, Chinese and Japanese. The center’s discount admission price is 2.5 liras, and the regular ticket price is 10 liras. Reservations are required to visit the center.
