Feb 6 quake damages several historical monuments in Turkey and Syria

ISTANBUL. Feb 6 (Interfax) - The powerful earthquake that rocked Turkey and Syria on Monday seriously damaged the Gaziantep Fortress, designated as a world cultural heritage site by UNESCO, and damaged a large number of archeological monuments in the territory of these countries, local media said on Monday.

The quake fully destroyed several bastions located in the eastern, southern and southeastern sections of the fortress, situated in Turkey's Gaziantep Province, and caused large cracks in other bastions' walls. The dome and the eastern wall of a 17th-century mosque, built near the fortress, partly collapsed.

The first fortifications at the site of the Gaziantep Fortress were constructed back during the Hittite Empire (1800-1180 B.C.). The castle was rebuilt by the Roman Empire in the second and third century A. D. and then during the Byzantine era in the sixth century A.D.

Furthermore, the earthquake damaged Syria's Citadel of Aleppo, also a UNESCO world heritage site. The earliest fortifications of the citadel were built in the tenth century, making it a key stronghold during the Crusades. In the 13th century, the citadel transformed into a wealthy city. Subsequently, the fortress was attacked by the Mongols in 1259 and by Conqueror Tamerlane in 1400. The taking of the citadel by Ottoman Empire forces in 1516 reduced its military role.

As a result of the February 6 quake, cracks also appeared in the walls of the Aleppo National Museum, and a large number of historical buildings in the Aleppo and Hama provinces were damaged.

The death toll from the earthquake in Turkey has topped 1,000. In Syria, the number of fatalities as a result of the quake stands at 592.