To celebrate the centennial of modern Turkey, the Turkish government has announced the opening of a historical stretch of its coast to divers worldwide.
The area is off Gallipoli and features 14 World War I wrecks.
The new Gallipoli Historical Underwater Park lies off the coast of the small village of Seddulbahir, on the Gallipoli peninsula. While diving was previously permitted in the area it did require a special permit.
Of the 14 wrecks open to divers, the most well-known is the pre-dreadnought battleship HMS Majestic, which was sunk by a U-boat with the loss of 49 men.
The site is the scene of the ill-fated Gallipoli campaign that claimed the lives of around 130,000 soldiers from all sides, including 10,000 troops from Australia and New Zealand, 10,000 French troops, 25,000 British Soldiers, and 86,000 Ottoman soldiers.
(Featured image credit: Directorate of Gallipoli Historic Site)
