Gaziantep Castle, a historic site and tourist attraction in southeastern Turkey, sustained significant damage in Monday’s earthquake.
Mehmet Akif Parlak/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
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Mehmet Akif Parlak/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
Gaziantep Castle, a historic site and tourist attraction in southeastern Turkey, sustained significant damage in Monday’s earthquake.
Mehmet Akif Parlak/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
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Monday’s earthquake destroyed nearly a 2,000-year-old castle in southeastern Turkey, according to state and local reports.
Gaziantep Castle — located in the heart of the city closest to the epicenter of the earthquake — started as an observation point during the Hittite Empire, it was strengthened during the Roman Empire and expanded under the Byzantine Emperor Justinian I in the 6th century.
The castle is unique for its irregular shape and 12 towers (it was surrounded by a moat at one point too).
He could stand it multiple invasionsrenovations and regime changes, it lost its military significance after the Ottoman Empire captured it in 1516 but has maintained its status as an important historical site and tourist attraction in the centuries since.
It was recently home to the Panoramic Museum of Defense and Heroism of Gaziantep.
The castle collapsed during Monday’s earthquake, according to the Turkish state-run Anadolu news agency.
The earthquake occurred near the city of Gaziantep early Monday morning, damaging buildings including the historic castle.
Mehmet Akif Parlak/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
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Mehmet Akif Parlak/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
The earthquake occurred near the city of Gaziantep early Monday morning, damaging buildings including the historic castle.
Mehmet Akif Parlak/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
“Some of the ramparts in the eastern, southern and southeastern parts of the historic Gaziantep Castle in the central Şahinbey district were destroyed by the earthquake; debris was scattered on the road,” he said. the outlet, in reports cited by CNN and The Guardian.
“The iron railings around the court were scattered on the surrounding sidewalks,” she added. “The retaining wall near the castle also collapsed. In some bastions, large cracks were observed after the earthquake.”
The pro-government Turkish website Daily Sabah also reported that the dome and east wall of the nearby Şirvani Mosque — which dates back to the 17th century and is located near the castle — also partially collapsed.
The outlet shared a video on Twitter of rubble and snow covering the site of the once formidable structure, which now appears to be missing large chunks.
