Ağadere Hospital and Martyrs' Memorial

Ağadere Hospital and Cemetery was used as one of the important areas providing medical services behind the front lines during the Çanakkale Wars. Today, it is located within the boundaries of the Gallipoli Peninsula Historical National Park and preserved as a monumental cemetery.

Situated in the Ağadere region, approximately one kilometer south of Çamburnu Castle along the Eceabat–Kilitbahir road, the cemetery was established in memory of soldiers who died during the Çanakkale Wars. The structure holds historical significance due to its dual function as a medical center during the war and its role as a cemetery.

Historical Background

Medical services conducted behind the front lines during the Çanakkale Wars constituted a vital component of the conflict’s logistical and medical dimensions. Wounded soldiers were evacuated from the front under the support of sanitary personnel and transported to mobile hospitals. There, they received treatment according to their medical conditions; those with severe injuries were transferred to hospitals in Istanbul. The conditions of the time, particularly due to enemy artillery fire and aerial attacks, forced medical services to operate under extremely difficult circumstances.

Cemetery and Restoration Efforts

The Ağadere Hospital Cemetery has served as the burial site for soldiers who lost their lives at Ağadere Hospital during the Çanakkale Wars. In 2012, the General Directorate of Nature Conservation and National Parks under the Ministry of Forest and Water Affairs launched a restoration project to reorganize the site. As a result of the “Ağadere Hospital and Cemetery Idea Project Competition” held the same year, the team led by Dr. Oktan Nalbantoğlu won first prize. Following the competition, an implementation project was developed based on an interdisciplinary approach encompassing architecture, landscape architecture, urban design and industrial product design.

Views from Inside the Cemetery - Çanakkale Historical Areas Directorate

Exhibited Artifacts at the Cemetery - Çanakkale Historical Areas Directorate

Ağadere Hospital and Cemetery is one of the documented examples of medical services provided during the Çanakkale Wars and serves as a source of information regarding the humanitarian and medical aspects of the conflict on the home front. Its status as a cemetery has been confirmed through historical records. Following the completion of restoration works, Ağadere Cemetery has been included among the designated visitation areas within the Gallipoli Peninsula Historical National Park.