Ancient citadel in Syria damaged after devastating earthquakes

Several archaeological sites in Syria, including a famed citadel in the northern city of Aleppo, were damaged after deadly earthquakes hit the country and neighboring Türkiye on Monday.

Parts of the Ottoman mill and defensive walls of the 13th-century citadel cracked and collapsed, according to Syria’s Directorate-General for Antiquities and Museums. Large parts of the dome of al-Ayubi Mosque’s minaret were also damaged and many stones at the entrance to the Mamluki defensive tower collapsed.

Added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1986, Aleppo city has been on the List of World Heritage in Danger since 2013 due to the ongoing conflict in Syria.

Apart from the citadel, Aleppo is also home to centuries-old covered markets and World Heritage site Diyarbakir Fortress and Hevsel Gardens Cultural Landscape, an important center for the Roman, Sassanid, Byzantine, Islamic, and Ottoman periods.

Once Syria’s pre-war commercial hub, Aleppo is considered one of the world’s longest continuously inhabited cities.

UNESCO voiced concern about the situation in the ancient city of Aleppo and said it would provide assistance to damaged heritage sites in both Syria and Türkiye.