He Gaziantep Castlea relic of Roman empirewas destroyed this Monday by the strong earthquake suffered by regions of Turkey and Syria.
The fortress was an important part of Turkish culture, and its destruction is a major blow to the country’s rich history.
The castle was located about 17.9 km from the epicenter of the earthquakein a city of the same name that is home to some two million inhabitants.
The first 7.8 magnitude quake struck at 04:17 am (local time) at a depth of about 18 km and was followed by a slightly smaller 7.5 magnitude temblor and more than 50 aftershocks.
According to official figures, the great earthquake has already caused almost 8 thousand victims.
The oldest castle in Gaziantep was built by the Hittiteswhich came to anatolian in the Bronze Age and achieved the status of a large regional empire before breaking up into smaller states beginning in the 12th century BC.
In the province of Hama, in west-central Syria, archaeological teams reported “some damaged buildings inside the old castle Margat”in the city of Banyas. A part of the walls and a tower also collapsed.
Some historic facades also collapsed, while in Al Qadmusa cliff fell near the castle of the city, in the province of tartus. Residential buildings in the castle grounds also fell.
With media information
These ancient peoples handed down their legacy to the Romans, who built the main building in the 2nd and 3rd centuries AD. C. (at the highest point of the Empire until its collapse).
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Built as a watchtower on top of the hill Kudretin the center of the city of Gaziantep, the stone fortress was used and renovated over the centuries by many of the Anatolians.
The Byzantines continued to protect the castle, which was enlarged and strengthened in its modern form under the reign of Justinian I between 527 and 565 AD
“Some of the bastions in the eastern, southern and southeastern parts of the historic Gaziantep castle in the central Sahinbey district were destroyed by the earthquake, rubble was scattered on the road,” reported the Turkish news agency anadolu.
“The iron railings that surrounded the castle were scattered on the surrounding sidewalks. The retaining wall next to the castle also collapsed. In some bastions, large cracks were observed.” they added.
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Archaeological sites of great value were also lost in Syria
The Aleppo citadel and other archaeological sites in Syria were also damaged in the massive earthquake.
“Parts of the Ottoman windmill inside the Aleppo citadel collapsed, and parts of the northeastern defensive walls cracked and split.”declared the general direction of antiquities and museums in a statement.
they also collapsed “large parts of the dome of the minaret of the Ayyubid mosque” inside the citadel “including the entrance to the Mamluk defensive tower”reported.
In the old city of AleppoIn northwestern Syria, several residential buildings adjacent to the historic walls collapsed.
The city is known for this citadel, an architectural jewel from medieval times, and for its old city, classified in 2018 as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Danger, after years of civil war.
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The Aleppo citadel and other archaeological sites in Syria were also damaged in the massive earthquake.
In the province of Hama, in west-central Syria, archaeological teams reported “some damaged buildings inside the old castle Margat”in the city of Banyas. A part of the walls and a tower also collapsed.
Some historic facades also collapsed, while in Al Qadmusa cliff fell near the castle of the city, in the province of tartus. Residential buildings in the castle grounds also fell.
With media information
