Restoration of bank building uncovers extraordinary measures taken

Salim Uzun - Antalya

During the restoration of the building in the Turkish Central Bank’s branch in the southern province of Antalya, which was built in 1963, the details noticed in the vault revealed that extraordinary measures were taken against a robbery attempt, such as reinforced walls and a fake safe entrance.

“The most important part of the building is the basement,” Cemil Karabayram, the head of the Department of Cultural Properties of the governor’s office of Antalya, told daily Hürriyet.

“Because a very special architectural design has been made here, which makes the 3-storey building special and carries it to the future.”

The walls, which are almost impossible to break or carve, were built very well considering the conditions of the day, according to Karabayram.

“Even the possibility of detonating with dynamite was considered,” said Karabayram, adding that a labyrinth was created around the safe.

Even if the robbers manage to break through the first wall, they face a second wall, then another gap and a new one, Karabayram said.

“Another small and narrow vault entrance was placed on an unrelated part of the wall surrounding the vault room.”

“This area was probably built to deceive the robbers and to make them waste time during the robbery,” he said.

“The large door at the entrance of the vault was specially designed in England in accordance with the architecture of the building,” he said, adding that the perimeter of the safe room is kept particularly narrow so that those who try to open the safe door or drill into the wall cannot use tools or have difficulty.

The building, whose restoration cost is covered by the governor’s office of Antalya, will be opened to visit for exhibition purposes when the works are completed.