Some 288 historical artifacts saved from rubble

HATAY

Expert teams from the General Directorate of Cultural Heritage and Museums have recovered 288 artifacts from many historical and cultural buildings that were destroyed in the earthquakes.

Artifacts such as inscriptions, coins, icons, oil lamps and Ottoman coat of arms, 265 of which were recovered in the southern province of Hatay and 23 in other provinces, were taken under protection in museums.

With the participation of five different teams and 173 specialists in 10 quake-hit provinces, the work is ongoing to remove artifacts from the rubble of heavily damaged historical buildings.

The artifacts identified, sorted, cleaned and documented are then transferred to museums and temporary storages.

As of March 21, preliminary preparation, exploration and removal of artifacts from the debris were carried out on 63 registered immovable properties, including 23 mosques, three churches, three hammams, three public buildings, five tombs and eight fountains.

A total of 265 artifacts, including 21 inscriptions, 18 liturgical materials, 13 icons, seven decorated architectural pieces, two oil lamps, one Ottoman coat of arms, a metal cross, seven holy manuscripts, 185 religious books, two door knockers and more were removed from the rubble and taken under protection.

In provinces other than Hatay, a total of 23 artifacts were recovered from the rubble.

In the southern province of Malatya, three building inscriptions, two tombstone inscriptions and two reliefs with lotus palmette motifs were recovered and delivered to Malatya Museum.

In the southern province of Gaziantep, 15 pieces consisting of castle inscriptions and architectural pieces were recovered from the collapsed Gaziantep Castle.

In the southern province of Adıyaman, one coin is among the recovered artifacts.

Gökhan Yazgı, director general of Cultural Heritage and Museums, said that Disaster Excavation Directorates have been established in the quake-hit provinces and specialized teams are carrying out excavations in the destroyed buildings.

Yazgı said that the remaining debris called “cultural rubble” will be moved to another place. Among this rubble, the architectural building elements to be used in the restoration and construction process will be separated.

He added that they have assigned excavation coordinators in all quake-hit provinces, and they are creating a container coordination center in Hatay where all the administrative and scientific board members can stay.