Aleppo citadel among damaged cultural heritage sites

DAMASCUS — Several archaeological sites, including a famed citadel in the northern Syrian city of Aleppo, were damaged in a deadly predawn earthquake on Monday, the country's antiquities authority said.

Parts of the Ottoman mill inside the citadel of Aleppo have collapsed, while "sections of the northeastern defensive walls have cracked and fallen", Syria's Directorate-General of Antiquities and Museums said in a statement.

Parts of the dome of the Ayyubid Mosque's minaret inside the citadel fell off, while the entrance to the fort has been damaged, it added, publishing photos of the site on its Facebook page.

The city of Aleppo is renowned for its ancient citadel, its UNESCO-listed historic center and its centuriesold covered markets.

A statement from UNESCO said it had already carried out an initial survey of the quake damage with its partners.

In Hama Province, archaeological surveys found that "some buildings inside the ancient Al-Marqab Castle" in Baniyas city had been damaged, while parts of the fortifications and a tower had fallen, the antiquities body said.

In Tartus Province, part of a rocky cliff fell in the vicinity of Qadmus castle, and residential buildings on the site collapsed, it added.

Expert teams were reportedly assessing the damage, and whether the earthquake had affected the ancient city of Palmyra.

In Turkiye, the quake destroyed a historic castle perched on top of a hill in Gaziantep city.

Parts of the Gaziantep Castle's walls and watch towers were leveled, while other areas of the structure were damaged, images from the region showed. The castle was first used as a watch tower and expanded into a castle during Roman times. It underwent renovation numerous times.

A famous mosque dating back to the 13th century partially collapsed in Malatya Province, where a 14-story building with 28 apartments that housed 92 people collapsed.

Agencies via Xinhua