Yesterday was ANZAC Day. If you’re not from Australia or New Zealand, you will be forgiven for not understanding its significance. If you are from Australia or New Zealand, it’s a big deal as I found out while visiting the World War I battlefields in Gallipoli, Turkey where thousands of Allied and Ottoman Empire forces died. It was these battles that shaped in part the national identities of Australia and New Zealand which were still young in their young in terms of being independent nations of Great Britain. The Aussies, Kiwis and Turks visit this place with the same reverence that US travelers have in visit the beaches of Normandy in France. While many of the sites we visited were memorials to the Aussie and Kiwi soldiers, there were several that paid homage to the fallen Turks.
More than anything, I was struck at how Anzac Day has come to strengthen the ties between Turkey and Australia and New Zealand. There was an openness and a welcoming feeling expressed towards the visitors. I can’t imagine another place where the home team pays homage to the fallen soldiers of the other side on their national soil. It’s quite incredible actually. It sounds odd to call this week’s photo from a sacred battlefield our Suh-Weet Shot of the week. But, this photo captures the true awesomeness of the field in which these tombstones lie.
If you like this post, sign up for our newsletter or subscribe to our RSS feed to keep up with Career Break Secrets’ career break and travel advice.
Tags: travel photos, Turkey travel
