We are now back in Istanbul for the end of our trip. On ANZAC Day we attended the dawn service and Lone Pine ceremony. We arrived at 1.30am and found some seats in the stands. It was very cold and there were thousands of people, many sleeping on the ground in their sleeping bags. There were films and interviews shown throughout the night to keep us entertained and informed. This included pictures and epitaphs of many soldiers buried at Gallipoli which was particularly moving. At 5.30am the service started. The moving service included a commemorative address by Australian MP Brendon Nelson, hymns and wreathlayings. It was amazing being at the very place where the ANZACs landed to have a dawn service and they used great lighting on the Sphinx and surrounding terrain.

Then we walked up Artillery Road to the Lone Pine site for the Australian service. I read the poem The Last to Leave during the service and the other Simpson Prize students were wreath handlers. It felt very special to a part of the service. The next day on 26 April we stopped off at the Turkish 57th Regiment cemetery to lay a wreath there with our Turkish bus driver Mehmet.

Emma Johnson

Today we went to Asia! We took the ferry across the Dardanelles, which was amazing because it only takes around 5 minutes. We got to look at the forts on both sides, which were bombarded during the naval campaign of the First World War. The fort on the Asian side has been converted into a museum, staffed by Turkish men serving their compulsory military service. We walked in a replica of the Nusrat and watched presentations about the Turkish success on March 18th. We also got to look at a collection of WWI guns and cannons, and watched a play set in the Turkish trenches. After the fort we saw the horse from the movie Troy and then drove to Troy itself, which was really amazing. The site has ruins from each of the 9 cities of Troy, which were built one after the other as each was destroyed. Seeing the excavation sites was amazing, as some of the ruins date back to 3000BC. There are also better preserved relics from the Roman times. Our guide Guzin also told us some of the history and mythology behind the story of Troy, which was really interesting as we could see how wrong Hollywood got it. After posing for some pictures inside the giant horse we came back to the European side on the ferry before heading back to the hotel. The Mediterranean was freezing as ever and today was infested with jellyfish as well! After dinner we played card games before heading of to bed.

Zoe Power

DAY 5 OF OUR SIMPSON PRIZE ADVENTURE!

Today we met our Turkish historian Keenan Celia, who guided us through the important historical sites on the Gallipoli Peninsula that included Ataturk’s house in the village of Bigali, trenches and memorials on the Turkish side, as well as the Turkish field hospital site and mass grave.  After teaching for many years in various levels of education, Kenan retired and is now an historian and guide for the Gallipoli campaign in addition to one of the most significant Turkish scholars. After Kenans thorough and informative historical guide, we returned to our hotel for yet another four course lunch. Many of us were amazed to see an even wider selection of pastries and desserts than the previous day (a record we thought impossible to beat). That afternoon we headed to Shrapnel Valley Cemetery for our first media experience. Channel 7 journalist Nick McCullum interviewed Zoe and I for news a presentation to be broadcasted back in Australia. We discussed our thoughts about visiting Anzac Cove and Shrapnel Valley Cemetery, how examining and reflecting the endless gravesites affected us, and our emotional feelings towards ANZAC Day and the ceremonies that we would be attending. After exploring the frontline cemeteries and sites, we continued our adventurous journey up to Lone Pine Cemetery, where we continued our individual presentations of a soldier that died during the Gallipoli campaign. My soldier, Geoffrey Bennett was 20 years old when he died, just after the landing at Gallipoli on the 25th April 1915. He was from my hometown of Camberwell, Victoria and he attended my primary school. Although I talked about my soldier at Beach Cemetery yesterday, I found his name under the 6th Battalion on the Memorial plaques at Lone Pine. After hearing part two of the “Rusty Richards” story we continued our journey, walking along the road and visiting the remains of original trenches, along with Walkers Ridge, Johnson’s Jolly and Quinn’s Post. Finally, we arrived at The Nek, where the European correspondent for Channel 9-James Talia – met us, along with his cameraman and reporters from News Limited (they produce the Herald Sun, Sunday Telegraph etc.). A few hours later we returned to the Kum Hotel, where we were greeted by another 4-5 course meal. This was followed by an absolutely glorious sunset (I got a little carried away with taking photos) then Andrew’s presentation of recovered footage called “Heroes of Gallipoli”. After such an action packed day, we were pleased when our heads touched our pillows.

KATHERINE WESTERMAN

Today we encountered various extremes, from shivering outside a church to sweltering as we hiked up hills at Gallipoli. We woke up early this morning to pack and get some breakfast before leaving Istanbul for the Peninsula. First, however, we visited the Chora Church Museum, which has functioned both as a Church and a Mosque during various periods. The ceiling is covered by some of the most beautiful mosaics in the world, depicting the life stories of both Mary and Jesus in gold and bright coloured glass squares. We then left Istanbul for a six hour bus ride to the Peninsula, stopping at a supermarket on the way, where we stocked up on Turkish Delight, Turkish snacks and Turkish coffee. When we eventually arrived at Gallipoli, we first visited the Beach Cemetery, and, among others, Simpson’s headstone, and its epitaph ‘He gave his life that others might live’. We then visited Sharpnel  Valley—the serenity and order of the graveyard making an interesting contrast to the terror and heat of the battle that it is supposed to commemorate. However, I think we all gained a glimpse of the hardships endured by the ANZACs when we trekked up the steep slopes to Plugge’s Plateau, all very glad not to be carrying 14 kilo packs under enemy fire. We then visited ANZAC cove and the place of the landing. The experience of the whole day was quite amazing, to see and recognize in real life all the geographical features (such as the Cove or the Sphynx) that are so often mentioned or depicted in history books and paintings, and all of us were struck by the difficulties that the ANZACS would have to have endured. After dinner back at the hotel, where we found ourselves surrounded by masses of other Aussies on pilgrimage, we finished the day by watching the sun set over Imbros from the beach.
Imogen Forbes-Macphail

Well here’s a rundown of what we went through during our stay in Istanbul. The plane landed on time – for once – and after acquiring visas and collecting our luggage we boarded our bus and headed for the hotel, driving past the old city walls on the way. They tower over the road, and some houses are built atop of the walls, showing how strong they still are. The Taxim hotel was our next stop. Very nice indeed, Imogen and I were given a suite while the rest of the group were given double rooms. Lunch was also at the hotel with a westernised menu to help us deal with the culture shock. (Try to upload the pic of Digger with the cream cake.) After lunch our group went on a cruise up the Bosphorous, seeing just how old and grand the buildings are. Luckily no one was sea sick, but the cold wind forced many of us below deck. Once we docked a short drive brought us to the stat o our walk along the streets back to the hotel, walking along Istikal Street, which has various shops on all sides, almost like a long open mall. Dinner was back at the hotel. Thursday saw a full day of sight seeing in Istanbul. First sight was the mosque of Suleyman the magnificent, and it certainly lives up to its name. It’s the biggest mosque in Istanbul/the world. (Not sure which.) Hanging on the chandeliers were rotten ostrich eggs. According to popular belief as they rot they release a smell that is undetectable to humans but dives spiders and other creepy crawlies away.

Whether it’s true or not, we did not see and bugs in any of the mosques we visited that day. A quick stop of the Hippodrome saw us become spectators to a re-enactment of the famous chariot races, but rather than horses and a 450*200m track it was class of Turkish school children running around one of the 3 remaining obelisks nine times. They were all very eager to practice their English on us. All the people are very helpful and friendly, many of the shopkeepers knowing enough English to make transactions easy. The Blue Mosque is named appropriately, for the outside at least. Inside reveals a hidden gem, with much of the seemly delicate paintings actually made of tiles. However the dome is the main attraction, even though large scaffolding sits in the middle to support the building, which would collapse if not for the modern addition. Topkapi palace really is fit for royalty. When in full use 4,500 people lived within its walls. The gem was in the treasury, with the ‘Spoon’ diamond housed in the royal treasury. The 8th largest diamond in the world, what makes it unique is it came from India rather than South America. The nickname ’spoon’ diamond comes from a legend that the man who found it traded it to a jeweller for two wooden spoons.

Madeleine Haywood

Just a quick note to let people know that the Simpson Prize students have arrived in Istanbul and will soon be travelling the the Kum Hotel (near ANZAC Cove).