Emperor Neron’s lighthouse to be made earthquake resistant

ANTALYA

A report prepared against a possible earthquake and tsunami has been approved in the restoration of the Patara Lighthouse, which was commissioned by the Roman Emperor Neron in AD 54 in the Mediterranean province of Antalya.

Having collapsed as a result of a strong earthquake in the sea and the tsunami waves that followed in 1481, the 26-meter-high historical site will be strengthened against a new possible earthquake.

In order to prevent the building from collapsing in an earthquake or tsunami in the years after the restoration, a technical report was prepared by the Istanbul Technical University Disaster Management Institute.

The report prepared by Cenk Üstündağ was approved by the Antalya Cultural Heritage Preservation Regional Board.

According to the report, the seismicity of the region where the ancient lighthouse is located and the necessity of intervention in the lighthouse carrier system have been revealed.

Materials such as steel spiral, steel pipe, steel rods, pure epoxy resin adhesive, carbon fiber mesh reinforcement and high-strength natural hydraulic lime-binder mortar will be used in the project to be applied for the resistance of the tower against natural disasters.

The lighthouse structure is the only example among the ancient lighthouses found on Earth with all its parts and was built with double-walled irregular stone mesh and filled with mortared rubble stone, according to experts.

Nearly 2,600 original stones belonging to the lighthouse will be classified, and the inner and outer walls of the stones will be organized in a “stone hospital” planned to be built in the area.