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13 of Turkey’s historic heritage sites destroyed by erroneous ‘restoration’
13 of Turkey’s historic heritage sites destroyed by erroneous ‘restoration’
13 of Turkey’s historic heritage sites destroyed by erroneous ‘restoration’
After its restoration was complete, it came to light that the complex’s marble columns were rebuilt with concrete. Moreover, an American-style kitchen and modern restrooms were built inside the historical site.
13 of Turkey’s historic heritage sites destroyed by erroneous ‘restoration’
1. Seyyid Battal Gazi Complex in Eskişehir The Seyyid Battal Gazi complex in Turkey’s northwestern province of Eskişehir dates back to the early 13th century. Built by Ümmühan Hatun, the mother of Kayqubad I of the Sultanate of Rum, the complex included a mosque and a shrine.
13 of Turkey’s historic heritage sites destroyed by erroneous ‘restoration’
The restoration was ridiculed on social media, as many users likened the new castle to SpongeBob SquarePants or some creature from the videogame Minecraft.
13 of Turkey’s historic heritage sites destroyed by erroneous ‘restoration’
The complex included a hostel for dervishes, a house for the readers of the Quran, a hospital and a soup kitchen for students.
13 of Turkey’s historic heritage sites destroyed by erroneous ‘restoration’
The courtyard of the complex was changed beyond recognition following a 2004 restoration, as it was covered with glass and rebuilt with folding doors.
13 of Turkey’s historic heritage sites destroyed by erroneous ‘restoration’
3. Atik Valide Complex in Üsküdar, Istanbul: The complex was commissioned in the late 16th Century by Sultan Selim II of the Ottoman Empire for his mother Nurbanu Sultan.
13 of Turkey’s historic heritage sites destroyed by erroneous ‘restoration’
However, its “restoration” was considered scandalous.
13 of Turkey’s historic heritage sites destroyed by erroneous ‘restoration’
4. İshak Pasha Palace, Ağrı: The İshak Paşa palace in Turkey’s eastern Ağrı province is an exquisite combination of Seljuk, Ottoman, Persian and Armenian architecture.
13 of Turkey’s historic heritage sites destroyed by erroneous ‘restoration’
Glass ceilings were erected on the building, allegedly to protect it from sunlight and frost.
13 of Turkey’s historic heritage sites destroyed by erroneous ‘restoration’
The palace and administrative complex was built during the second half of the 17th Century.
13 of Turkey’s historic heritage sites destroyed by erroneous ‘restoration’
Among the damaged mosaics were world-famous panels including a mosaic depicting the sacrifice of Isaac and a mosaic of Narcissus.
13 of Turkey’s historic heritage sites destroyed by erroneous ‘restoration’
Hatay Archaeology Museum in Turkey's southeastern Hatay province is the world's second largest mosaic museum.
13 of Turkey’s historic heritage sites destroyed by erroneous ‘restoration’
5. Hatay Archaeology Museum mosaics, Hatay: At least ten mosaics were seriously damaged during restoration before being moved to the newly built archaeology museum
13 of Turkey’s historic heritage sites destroyed by erroneous ‘restoration’
7. Hagia Sophia Mosque, İznik: Initially built as a church by Justinian I during the early 6th century, the building was converted to a mosque in the 14th century after the city fell to the Ottomans. Although the mosque was converted to a museum in 1935, during the early days of the Turkish republic, it re-opened as a mosque in 2011. The mosque was damaged during restoration, as frosted glass doors were installed and all its windows were covered with glass.
13 of Turkey’s historic heritage sites destroyed by erroneous ‘restoration’
8. Castle of Urfa, Şanlıurfa: The appearance of the 1,200-year-old Urfa Castle, located in Turkey’s southeastern Şanlıurfa province, was altered in a restoration commissioned in 2013. The castle’s collapsed walls were rebuilt with white concrete stone instead of the original material, creating a discordant outlook.
13 of Turkey’s historic heritage sites destroyed by erroneous ‘restoration’
9. Palace of the Porphyrogenitus/ Tekfur Palace, Istanbul: Tekfur Palace is a Byzantine palace built during the 13th century in in Istanbul’s current-day Fatih district. The palace is special, as it is one of only three Byzantine palaces still standing in Istanbul. Unfortunately, the building was transformed into a modern construction, likened to a holiday resort by some critics, with newly installed shiny aluminum safety rails and air conditioning units.
13 of Turkey’s historic heritage sites destroyed by erroneous ‘restoration’
13 of Turkey’s historic heritage sites destroyed by erroneous ‘restoration’
13. Apollon Smintheus Temple, Çanakkale: The restoration of the 2,000-year-old Apollon Smintheus Temple in the Ayvacık district of Turkey’s northwestern Çanakkale province aroused criticism.
13 of Turkey’s historic heritage sites destroyed by erroneous ‘restoration’
However, its exquisite tiles were destroyed by the installment of air conditioners and mufti decrees.
13 of Turkey’s historic heritage sites destroyed by erroneous ‘restoration’
12. Tiled Mosque in Üsküdar, Istanbul: The Tiled Mosque, dubbed so due to its beautiful İznik tiles, was commissioned by Kösem Sultan during the mid-17th century.
13 of Turkey’s historic heritage sites destroyed by erroneous ‘restoration’
The temple’s historic steps were rebuilt with concrete.
13 of Turkey’s historic heritage sites destroyed by erroneous ‘restoration’
Previously a simple but beautiful building, the renovated mosque is now red and white.
13 of Turkey’s historic heritage sites destroyed by erroneous ‘restoration’
The owner of the company responsible for the restoration admitted that the colors are “shiny,” but he hopes they will eventually “fade.”
13 of Turkey’s historic heritage sites destroyed by erroneous ‘restoration’
14. Vilayet Mosque, Istanbul: The Vilayet Mosque in Istanbul’s Cağaloğlu neighborhood was erected during the reign of Mehmed the Conqueror.
13 of Turkey’s historic heritage sites destroyed by erroneous ‘restoration’
13 of Turkey’s historic heritage sites destroyed by erroneous ‘restoration’
The restoration of the 19th century alley was completed in 2000, with the construction looking more like an entertainment center than a historical building.
13 of Turkey’s historic heritage sites destroyed by erroneous ‘restoration’
10. Cite Française, Istanbul: Cite Française, also known as the French Alley, was built in Istanbul’s Karaköy neighborhood to host the offices of French and Russian tradesman.
13 of Turkey’s historic heritage sites destroyed by erroneous ‘restoration’
2. ‘SpongeBob’ Castle in Şile, Istanbul: The 2,000-year-old castle in Istanbul’s northern coastal district of Şile was chosen in 2010 for renovation as it was under the risk of demolition.
13 of Turkey’s historic heritage sites destroyed by erroneous ‘restoration’
6. Süheyl Bey Mosque, Istanbul: The 16th century mosque was demolished in 1956 in the scope of a road construction project of the Adnan Menderes government. The building was “restored” last year in a way reminiscent of a modern office building, rather than a mosque. “I’ve never seen such a restoration project that ends up so distant from the original. Such works are commissioned to the friends and comrades of political figures,” Chamber of Architects chair Eyüp Muhcu had said at the time.
13 of Turkey’s historic heritage sites destroyed by erroneous ‘restoration’
11. The mansion and the grove of Vahdettin: Sultan Vahdettin, the last ruler of the Ottoman dynasty, resided in this mansion until his ascension to the throne in 1918. The mansion is located on a hill with beautiful views of the Bosphorus. Its “restoration” was completed in April 2014 having destroyed the historical texture of the building and removed some trees from its grove.
13 of Turkey’s historic heritage sites destroyed by erroneous ‘restoration’
13 of Turkey’s historic heritage sites destroyed by erroneous ‘restoration’
13 of Turkey’s historic heritage sites destroyed by erroneous ‘restoration’
The controversial restoration of the “SpongeBob” castle, a 2,000-year-old castle in Istanbul’s Şile district, has rekindled debate on Turkey’s failure to protect its historic and cultural heritage sites. Click through to see 13 heritage sites across Turkey, destroyed due to erroneous restorations.
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