Assos to be closed for 500 days
ÇANAKKALE
The archaeological site of Assos in the northwestern province of Çanakkale will be closed for 500 days while rehabilitation work is carried out on a nearby slope after rock and stone fragments fell onto the road to the Assos antique port.
The activities of tourism operators and tradesmen in the ancient port were halted as part of a project tendered last month by the Ayvacik Governor’s Office in Çanakkale.
On April 27, the road leading to the ancient port was closed by gendarmerie teams, delaying the plans of visitors to visit the site.
As part of the project, which is planned to be completed in around 500 days, the slope near the port will be rehabilitated to prevent rock fragments and stones from posing a danger above the port. They had begun to fall due to earthquakes and natural conditions.
Authorities said that businesses in the region would continue their activities after the completion of the rehabilitation work.
Assos, also known as Behramkale, was one of the most important port cities of the ancient age and possesses crucial cultural heritage from the region’s Roman period, including an antique theater, agora, necropolis and walls.
The site, located 17 kilometers south of Ayvacık district, was inscribed on the tentative list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites on April 15, 2017.
According to the UNESCO website, Assos, as a significant polis or city-state in the Archaic period, maintained its important role in the region until Byzantine times.
Turkish archaeologists started excavations at Assos in 1981.
The protection, promotion and restoration of the ancient city are being undertaken by the Culture and Tourism Ministry, Çanakkale Governor’s Office and the local administration of Behramkale Village.
