A famous castle in southern Turkey built by the Roman and Byzantine empires was destroyed in the massive 7.8 magnitude earthquake Monday.
The beginnings of Gaziantep Castle were constructed over 3,000 years ago during the Hittite Empire, according to the book Defence Sites II: Heritage and Future.
MORE THAN 2,300 KILLED AFTER MASSIVE 7.8-MAGNITUDE EARTHQUAKE ROCKS TURKEY AND SYRIA
The castle was almost completely destroyed on Monday in the massive earthquake as the shaking was centered almost directly under the city of Gaziantep, where the castle is located.
“Some of the bastions in the east, south and southeast parts of the historical Gaziantep Castle in the central Sahinbey district were destroyed by the earthquake, the debris was scattered on the road,” the Turkish state-run Anadolu Agency said in a news report, according to CNN.
“The iron railings around the castle were scattered on the surrounding sidewalks. The retaining wall next to the castle also collapsed. In some bastions, large cracks were observed,” it added.
Pictures and videos posted on social media appeared to confirm the damage, showing the devastated structure.
Historical Gaziantep Castle’s east, south and southeast bastions collapse, leaving debris scattered on the road after major 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck Türkiye’s southeasthttps://t.co/5j2soYI6hC pic.twitter.com/1n6whCr2gY
— DAILY SABAH (@DailySabah) February 6, 2023
Gaziantep Castle is completely destroyed after today’s earthquake in Turkey.
The castle was built by the Hittite Empire and later built into a main castle by the Roman Empire in 2nd and 3rd centuries AD. pic.twitter.com/6Amv0PfhNT
— Oskar Aanmoen ?? (@OAanmoen) February 6, 2023
? 6000-year-old Gaziantep Castle was destroyed in the earthquake.#BreakingNews Earthquake in Turkey, Center tops Hatay, Malatya, KahramanMaraş,GaziAntep,#Earthquake #Turkey #Emergency #Hatay #Malatya pic.twitter.com/v3Dg7hlLjY
— Yorukhun (@yorukhunnn) February 6, 2023
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The citadel was considered one of the best-preserved buildings in Turkey and served as a significant tourist attraction. The main castle was first constructed by the Romans between the 2nd and 3rd centuries A.D., but it was reinvented in its modern form by the Byzantine Emperor Justinian the Great in the mid-6th century.
