Gaziantep Castle – Destroyed In the Earthquake

Turkey's earthquake caused the destruction of an ancient fortress that had been inhabited by Romans and Byzantines.

Gaziantep Castle, a historic monument and tourist destination located in the south-east of Turkey, sustained significant damage as a result of the earthquake that slammed Turkey and Syria on Monday.

The earthquake, which had a magnitude of 7.8 and occurred in the early hours of February 6th, caused the castle to tumble.

According to a report by the Turkish government news agency Anadolu, the earthquake caused damage to several bastions located in the east, south, and south-east parts of the medieval Gaziantep Castle, which is located in the central Sahinbey District. The wreckage from these bastions was spread on the road.

The wrought-iron fences that encircled the castle were strewn across the walkways in the surrounding area. The retaining wall that was located close to the castle fell down as well. Large fractures were discovered in a few of the bastions.

In addition, parts of the dome and eastern wall of the famous Sirvani Mosque, which is situated right next to the castle and is said to have been constructed in the 17th century, have fallen down, the report claimed.

Archaeological investigations have shown that the castle was first constructed during the Roman era in the second and third century C.E. as a watchtower, and it was subsequently enlarged over the course of time. According to Turkish Museums, the official website of historic and archaeological monuments, its present appearance dates back to the era of the Byzantine Emperor Justinian (527-565 C.E.). This is also when the structure was given its name.

The Gaziantep Defense and Heroism Panoramic Museum was the most recent tenant of this building.

Since the first earthquake, which was one of the most powerful to strike Turkey in the last one hundred years, there have been over 18 aftershocks measuring 4 or higher on the Richter scale that have been registered so far.

About 1,700 structures were reportedly destroyed across ten different cities in Turkey, as stated by the Vice President of Turkey, Fuat Oktay.

 

Source: cnn.com