Ancient city of Anavarza survives major quakes

ADANA

The ancient city of Anavarza in the Kozan district of the southern province of Adana survived the devastating earthquakes in the east of Türkiye with slight damage.

In Adana, 11 buildings collapsed, and dozens of buildings got damaged. The castle walls and historical buildings in the ancient city, which had some cracks in the gate of the Triumphal Arc, were not destroyed in the 7.7 magnitude earthquake and aftershocks.

Located in the Dilekkaya neighborhood, the ancient city of Anavarza, which dates back 7,500 years and is on the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List, stands out with its magnificent gate and walls, as well as the world’s first double-lane road. It has been undergoing excavation and restoration works for years. This year, traces of the bath-palace complex were found in the ancient city along with many sections, such as the two-domed brick bath, palestra columns, column bases, capitals and shops.

Known as the “Invincible City” in the past, the ancient city attracts attention with its colonnaded street, as well as its magnificent crown gate and walls. It is home to a theater, amphitheater, stadium and a 2,700-meter-long and 34-meter-wide columnar street. The gate called Triumphal Arch, built in memory of the victory of the Romans in the ancient city against the Persians in the third century, is one of the most important elements of this place. The Triumphal Arch, consisting of three arches, eight legs and six columns, is one of the largest monumental city gates in Anatolia.

Fatih Gülşen, the head of Anavarza excavations, said that after the earthquake, archaeologists in the excavation team examined the damages and reported that the ancient city survived the earthquakes with minor damage, like it survived in many devastating earthquakes in its history.

It was reported that the cracks in some parts of the structures will be repaired by the restoration team soon.

Ziya Şimşek, who lives in the area of the ancient city of Anavarza, stated they have lived in the region for three generations, saying, “We have been living here for years. This is the third time we experienced a major earthquake, as far as I know. But the ancient city was slightly damaged during this earthquake although it is thousands of years old.”