Check out this epic underwater museum!
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A Turkish museum has recently opened to the public - and it's completely underwater!
The park is made up of fourteen different shipwrecks that lie deep beneath the waves of the Dardanelles Strait.
The museum provides a glimpse into the fierce battle of Gallipoli which took place back in 1915.
The battle saw the Ottoman Empire, which was one of the most powerful empires in history, take on allied forces including New Zealand, Australian, British, Irish, French and Indian troops during World War I. More than 130,000 soldiers lost their lives during the battle.
Turkish photographer Savas Karakas was one of the first people to board a motor boat and dive to the seabed grave when the park first opened to the public Saturday. He says he was able to reconnect with his grandfather who fought in the Gallipoli campaign.
"My grandfather's hands were disfigured and burned in action, and I was always scared of them," said Turkish photographer Savas Karakas who lives in Istanbul.
"But when I come to Gallipoli and dive, the rusted metal and steel of the wrecks reminds me of my grandfather's hands and I hold his hand under the water."
Divers visiting the park can see the 120-metre long HMS Majestic battleship, which is the first stop for divers at a depth of 24 metres off the coast of Sedd眉lbahir, located on the Gallipoli peninsula in Turkey. The vessel, along with several others, is still largely intact on the sea floor.
"We are a fortunate generation because we...can still visit those monuments," said Ali Ethem Keskin who is another underwater photographer from Istanbul.
"When I started diving...I felt the moment that they were sunk, and I felt the stress of war," he said. "I sensed the panic they felt at that moment."
Turkey hopes Gallipoli will become a popular destination for divers looking to connect with the events of the past.
- Published18 February 2021
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