The Çanakkale Epic Promotion Center is located in the Kabatepe area within the Eceabat District of Çanakkale Province in northwestern Türkiye. The building was designed to convey the historical narrative of the Gallipoli Campaigns, which took place during World War I between the Ottoman Empire and the Allied Powers, to future generations in a permanent and systematic manner. After its construction was completed, it was opened to the public on June 7, 2012.
Çanakkale Epic Promotion Center (Culture Portal)
Architectural Design
The architectural design of the Çanakkale Epic Promotion Center incorporates symbolic elements reflecting the historical context of the Gallipoli Campaigns. The building is entirely underground to emphasize the theme of martyrdom. This design approach aims to create the impression of a mausoleum for visitors and to transform the dramatic aspects of war into a spatial experience.
At the entrance of the museum, two opposing monument walls represent the Asian and European shores of the Çanakkale Strait. One wall is light, and the other is dark, symbolizing the contrast between war and peace. Three columns atop the dark wall represent the Turkish soldier’s faith, courage, and patriotism. The overall simplicity of the walls alludes to the silence and solitude following the war.
Çanakkale Epic Promotion Center (Culture Portal)
Exhibition Methods in the Museum
The museum features a total of 11 animation halls, some equipped with moving platforms. In these halls, historical events of the Gallipoli Campaign are presented through advanced animation techniques and cine-vision presentations lasting 65 minutes. The primary language of narration is Turkish, but for foreign visitors, information is provided through headphones in seven languages: English, German, French, Russian, Japanese, Italian, and Arabic.
Exhibition Areas
With its two-story layout, the promotion center allows exhibition areas to be organized for different functions. Exhibition techniques include diorama setups, life-size models, wax figures, and multimedia-supported storytelling. Scenes of battle, trench life, and ammunition use are visualized through realistic mannequins.
Çanakkale Epic Promotion Center (Culture Portal)
Çanakkale Epic Promotion Center (Culture Portal)
War Objects, Equipment, and Open-Air Elements
In the museum’s outdoor landscape areas, objects accurately reflecting the wartime environment are displayed, including real trenches, military vehicles, and period equipment. In indoor display cases, military uniforms, weapons, and other wartime materials are exhibited.
Çanakkale Epic Promotion Center (Culture Portal)
Memorial Artifacts
One of the most remarkable items in the museum collection is the blood-stained uniform of Captain Eşref Efendi, who was martyred during the Gallipoli Campaign. It is displayed with the patient referral note he pinned to his jacket at the medical center and the epaulettes donated by his family. Other notable exhibits include a wax figure of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk during his promotion to colonel, his personal belongings, and a diorama depicting a bayonet charge.
Visitor Experience and Interactive Elements
The museum aims to provide visitors with an interactive learning process rather than a passive viewing experience. Advanced audiovisual technologies in the animation halls allow visitors to experience the atmosphere of the battlefield at a sensory level.
