Chunuk Bair is one of the high points of the Sari Bair range, and from its summit you can see both the Aegean and the Dardanelles, which is exactly why it mattered so much in 1915. Whoever held these heights controlled the peninsula.
For New Zealand, Chunuk Bair is hallowed ground. It was here, in August 1915, that New Zealand troops briefly reached the crest, the closest the Allies ever came to their objective.
The August offensive
As part of the great August offensive, New Zealand infantry fought their way up the steep slopes and seized the summit of Chunuk Bair. For a short time they looked down on the straits the whole campaign had been fought to reach.
They could not be reinforced or held in place, and a massive Turkish counter-attack, led in part by Mustafa Kemal, swept them off the heights. The line never reached so far again.
The memorials at Chunuk Bair
The summit now holds the New Zealand National Memorial and a large statue of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, standing close together as a reminder that both nations honour their dead here. The views alone explain the whole strategy of the campaign.
The New Zealand ANZAC Day service is held at Chunuk Bair, and for many Kiwi visitors it is the emotional centre of the trip.
Frequently asked questions
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