Diyarbakır’s city walls gets a facelift with action plan

DİYARBAKIR - Anatolia News Agency

Sur is a splendid place made up of 5.5 kilometers of city walls that cover a 148 hectares area, according to mayor Mustafa Toprak. AA photos

A historical and often-visited section of Diyarbakır is set to get a new look with a total of 9,246 structures, including 141 monumental structures, 342 civic architecture works and 97 public buildings as the Sur district of the eastern province of Diyarbakır is set to be restored in a new project.

The Council of Ministers declared Sur a risky area Nov. 4 and launched preparations for a new project and action plan that will restore all structures in the district. Sur is a splendid place made up of 5.5 kilometers of city walls that cover a 148 hectares area, Diyarbakır Mayor Mustafa Toprak said. “But over time the district has faced many problems due to unplanned urbanization. Because of these problems the Ministry of Environment and Urban Planning has started works to revive the history and cultural values of the city. The area is in the second degree earthquake zone and 95 percent of buildings there would be affected even in a small earthquake,” he said.

New law to be made

Works will begin in the region as soon as the action plan is ready, Toprak said. “Only 5 percent of buildings are made from concrete, 95 percent are masonry. People are living in these unsafe buildings so they should be restored as soon as possible,” Toprak said.

According to Toprak, they could reach 46 percent of buildings in Cevatpaşa neighborhood and only 7 percent in the neighborhoods of Alipaşa and Lalebey between 2008 and 2012. “There are difficulties, but thanks to a new law that will be made all these works will be accelerated.”

Following the completion of the restoration works Sur will become a fantastic place to live thanks to its historic importance, cultural values and green areas, Toprak said.

Projects have been prepared to fix destroyed bastions of the famous city walls, Toprak said. “Restoration projects for 16 bastions in İçkale and four gates have already been prepared.”
The mayor said that renovations works had been carried out in an area of 10,000 square meters in the vicinity of the historic Ulucami Mosque. “The ministry is working on the action plan and it will be finished soon. We hope that works will begin in the mid of 2013. The action plan will reveal which buildings will be demolished,” he said.