Aid vowed for sites of heritage

PARIS — The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, or UNESCO, on Tuesday expressed concerns over damage to Syrian and Turkish heritage sites, and vowed to support the two earthquake-devastated countries.

Following an initial survey of damage to heritage sites carried out alongside national authorities, UNESCO said: "In Syria, UNESCO is particularly concerned about the situation in the Ancient city of Aleppo, which is on the List of World Heritage in Danger."

Significant damage had been noted in the citadel, UNESCO said. The western tower of the old city wall had collapsed, and several buildings in the souks had been weakened.

In Turkiye, UNESCO said it was saddened by the "collapse of several buildings" at the World Heritage site of the Diyarbakir Fortress and the adjacent Hevsel Gardens.

With weather conditions and the remote nature of the areas making access and information hard to come by, UNESCO said other sites in Turkiye on the World Heritage list not far from the epicenter could be affected.

It said these included the famed Neolithic site of Gobekli Tepe in Sanliurfa Province.

UNESCO's experts, with the cooperation of national authorities, are trying to establish a precise inventory of the damage to sites on the World Heritage List.

Xinhua - Agencies