From Gaziantep Castle to an ancient citadel in Aleppo, Monday's devastating earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria have damaged many historical sites in both countries.
According to UNESCO, several buildings collapsed at the heritage site known as the Diyarbakir Fortress and Hevsel Gardens Cultural Landscape in southeastern Türkiye. But specific details of the scale of destruction are as yet unknown.
File photo of the Diyarbakir Fortress and Hevsel Gardens /CFP
The UN's cultural body noted that the quake occurred in one of the longest continuously inhabited areas on the planet within the so-called "Fertile Crescent."
Diyarbakir Fortress and Hevsel Gardens Cultural Landscape is a key center of the Roman, Sassanid, Byzantine, Islamic and Ottoman periods. The 5.8-kilometer-long city walls of Diyarbakir are a popular tourism destination reminiscent of the Great Wall of China.
A file photo of the Diyarbakir Fortress taken on July 5, 2015, the year the site was added to the UNESCO World Heritage list /CFP
UNESCO said in a recent statement that it was working with partners on an initial survey to assess the damage sustained at heritage sites in the stricken area with the aim of securing and stabilizing them.
Gaziantep Castle, another UNESCO World Heritage Site in southeastern Türkiye, was reported to have suffered severe damage when a retaining wall of the castle collapsed, leaving debris strewn around the site. In Syria, a 13th-century citadel in the ancient city of Aleppo also sustained damage.
A view of the damage to Gaziantep Castle in southeastern Türkiye on February 6, 2023/CFP
The devastating earthquakes have already claimed the lives of over 21,000 people across Türkiye and Syria, according to news reports on Friday.
(With input from AFP)