The warships sunk in the Dardanelles Wars were brought to sea and underwater tourism.
0Underwater history opened to tourism
The warships sunk in the Dardanelles Wars were brought to sea and underwater tourism. British, French, Australian and New Zealand divers who are curious about their underwater history are expected to arrive for the 22 historic vessels.
The warships that sank in Çanakkale during the fiercest battles of the First World War were brought to tourism and economy by the Çanakkale Wars Gallipoli Historical Site Presidency, which is affiliated to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. The area, which consists of historical shipwrecks similar to those in the USA, Scotland and Malta, is the first underwater park managed by the central government in the world and contains more shipwrecks than its counterparts in other countries. British, French, Australian and New Zealand divers who are curious about their underwater history are scheduled to arrive in the depths, and there are 22 historical ships in the depths. While it is thought that the ships sunk by the Turkish artillery, the mines laid by Nusret or the submarines will contribute greatly to the ecotourism of Çanakkale; Only Milliyet accompanied the wreck dives of Aksona Mehmet, Turkey's most senior diver and last sponge diver.
With the slogan "No one can protect the unknown", 22 shipwrecks deep in the Dardanelles and Aegean Sea; Çanakkale Governorship, South Marmara Development Agency, Çanakkale Wars Gallipoli Historical Site Presidency, Istanbul University and TÜBİTAK Marmara Research Center welcomes divers. Many shipwrecks such as landing craft, submarines, steam cruise ships, sailboats as well as warships that did not explode and whose bombs were rendered completely safe; It has created the highest historically rich underwater park in the world.
HMS Majestic favorite
Among the 22 shipwrecks, the British HMS Majestic off Seddülbahir attracts the greatest attention. HMS Majestik, which sank with the torpedo of the German U 21 submarine under the command of Captain Otto Hersing, is waiting for the divers at a depth of 18-24 meters with the cannonballs and war equipment on its deck. Although the 118-meter-long warship disintegrates and disintegrates, it evokes the feeling of a real war environment, while the sea eagles (Myliobatis Aquila) roaming on it create magnificent images. The sea eagles, which find a habitat with the contribution of the ship to the underwater habitat, glide like an eagle beating its wings, offering a unique feast to the divers.
The nearby shipwrecks, called the Helles Barges, are naval vessels used to bring food and water to the soldiers on the shore after the Anzac landings on the morning of 25 April. While the barges at a depth of 24 meters were looked forward to by the Anzac soldiers on the coast, they are now reminiscent of the bloody battles that took place 107 years ago.
Turkish artillery sunk
HMS Louis, which belongs to the British who want to reach Istanbul by passing Çanakkale, is another shipwreck that increases the visual richness of the region. While the British destroyer was sunk by Turkish artillery after being injured in a naval accident, it is located at a depth of 14 meters in the sandy area where it was buried. While the cauldrons on its 45-meter body offer divers unique views, the strong currents of the Aegean Sea bring shoals of fish to the wreck. Mehmet Baş, who is trying to get Turkey to enter the UNESCO Living Human Treasures list as the first sailor, was very emotional during his dives to the historical shipwrecks. Mehmet Baş, known to the sailors as "the last sponge diver Aksona Mehmet", said, "The unexploded shells on the deck of HMS Majestik reminded me of how hard Anatolia was protected and that Çanakkale was impassable. While visiting the deep history, I wanted the struggle of our ancestors to be an example for all of us. The efforts of the Presidency of the Historic Sites are successful enough to introduce Çanakkale to the world with its underwater richness. ANZAC descendants looking for traces of their ancestors will show great interest in these shipwrecks. The devotion to the land, which is the ancient culture of the Anatolian people, is strong enough to resist the powerful navies that come to the occupation. "I don't think there is such a rich shipwreck area in the world," he said. Aksona Mehmet, who dives with the members of the Respect for the Deep Diving Community and the expert instructors of Çanakkale Diving Center, stated that the living life around the historical shipwrecks provides great benefits to the ecosystem.
Ships sunk in 1915; A flock of sea eagles (Myliobatis aquila) hovering over the unexploded cannonballs of the British symbol battleship HMS Majestik, the ghost nets around S/S Lundy, the 14-metre engine room of the destroyer HMS Luis, the weasel nesting in the British barges carrying food to the soldiers fish and the red corals stretching on the 125-meter-long hull of Captain Franko,