The historical artifacts under the rubble are being examined

Disaster Area Excavation Head Assoc. Dr. Muhammed Arslan:

"The inscriptions are like the identity cards of the work"

"We are removing the quality material under the rubble as soon as possible in a sheltered and safe manner, inventorying it and delivering it to the relevant museums to be used again in restorations."

The team led by Assoc. Dr. Muhammet Arslan, Head of the Department of Art History at the Faculty of Arts and Sciences of Kafkas University and Head of Disaster Area Excavations, takes inventory of the historical artifacts destroyed or damaged in the earthquake in Hatay, like a detective.

Two major earthquakes in Kahramanmaraş caused the most destruction in Hatay among 11 cities. In addition to thousands of buildings in the city, many historical monuments were left under ruins.

A scientific committee was formed to restore the cultural and historical monuments such as mosques, masjids, baths, fountains and churches within the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. Within the frame of the work of the Board, a unit was established to invent the qualified artifacts in the damaged historical buildings in 11 cities that were exposed to the earthquake and to establish a basis for restoration.

Providing information about the works, Kafkas University Faculty of Arts and Sciences Art History and Head of Disaster Area Excavations Assoc. Dr. Muhammet Arslan noted that in the earthquakes centered in Kahramanmaraş, cities and cultural assets were affected as much as citizens.

Explaining that the place where this earthquake was felt the most was Hatay, Arslan said, “The majority of our registered cultural assets in Antakya were destroyed, there are some heavily damaged and partially damaged works. Our Ministry of Culture and Tourism took swift action to protect these artifacts. A scientific committee was established in order to protect cultural assets. With the decision of the board, first of all, the qualified works in our cultural assets, because these works are not only works that rise from the carriers, but also with their inscriptions, which are like the identity cards of those works. They are also historical documents. With their inscriptions, plastic decorated stones, door wings, altars, pulpits, columns and column capitals, these are the elements that add a soul to these works."

"About 50 works were damaged"

Arslan emphasized that they removed the quality material from the wreckage as soon as possible in a sheltered and safe manner, inventoried and delivered to the relevant museums to be reused in restorations. Stating that they are in Hatay with a team of 30 volunteers, mainly academics from different provinces of Turkey, Arslan stated that they will carry out similar studies not only in Hatay but also in other 10 provinces affected by the earthquake.

Noting that around 50 registered cultural assets were damaged in Hatay, Arslan said, "Mosques, churches, baths, fountains, and many housing examples have been damaged," said Arslan.