Welcome to the Mehmet Çavuş Monument & The Nek (Cesarettepe)

Located approximately 100 meters uphill from the 57th Regiment Cemetery, a road leads west to the monument honoring Mehmet Çavuş (Sergeant Mehmet) and The Nek. This site holds historical significance as it marks the place where on August 7, 1915, the 8th (Victorian) and 10th (Western Australian) regiments of the third Light Horse Brigade bravely charged out of their trenches into intense enemy fire, an event immortalized in Peter Weir’s film, Gallipoli.

The monument, erected in 1919, commemorates Mehmet Çavuş and 25 other soldiers who gallantly resisted Allied forces. It stands as one of only two surviving Turkish monuments from the four originally built during and immediately after the war (the other being the Kireçtepe Gendarmerie Monument). The original pedestal of the monument remains, while other parts have been reconstructed over time.

Mehmet Çavuş, a hero of the 64th Regiment, survived the war and was promoted to the rank of lieutenant on the orders of Enver Pasha. Originally from Sefalı Village, Çiçekdağı in Kırşehir, Mehmet Çavuş became synonymous with bravery in Çanakkale, known for his unwavering courage in the face of adversity.

Visiting this site not only offers a glimpse into the heroic past of Mehmet Çavuş and his comrades but also honors their enduring legacy in the history of Çanakkale.