1,800-Year-Old Roman Castle Destroyed in Turkey Earthquake

A Roman-era castle in Turkey has been badly damaged in two devastating earthquakes that hit the country on Monday, as archaeologists fear that other priceless historical monuments may have been damaged.

Gaziantep Castle was built in the 2nd and 3rd Century by Romans, and extended by Byzantine emperor Justinian I in the 6th Century. It has undergone extensive renovations in recent years, as it was a possible candidate to be listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

A mosque next to the castle and the gates to Aleppo’s old city in Syria are also reported to have been damaged by the tremors, which were felt as far away as Iraq and Lebanon. 

“Some of the bastions in the east, south and south-east parts of the historical Gaziantep Castle in the central Şahinbey district were destroyed by the earthquake; the debris was scattered on the road,” reported Anadolu, the Turkish state-run news agency.

It added: “The iron railings around the court were scattered on the surrounding sidewalks. The retaining wall next to the castle also collapsed. In some bastions, large cracks were observed after the earthquake.” 

The earthquakes felled houses and apartment blocks across Turkey and Syria, and left many people trapped under the rubble.