3 November Commemoration of the First Martyrs of Çanakkale

About the festival

Held every year by the Gallipoli Historical Site Directorate, this commemoration remembers the first soldiers killed on the Çanakkale front. On 3 November 1914 the Allied fleet bombarded the forts at the entrance to the Dardanelles, and the first losses came in the defence of Seddülbahir. The ceremony takes place at the First Martyrs' Cemetery in Seddülbahir village, in the Eceabat district, where an official remembrance ceremony is held for the fallen. The Directorate publishes the start time and detailed programme on its website as the date approaches. Seddülbahir lies at the southern tip of the Gallipoli Peninsula, and the event is part of the year-round calendar of Çanakkale campaign ceremonies.