Thousands year old guards in Anatolia to be restored

Burcu Şen

In line with the 2023 Presidential Annual Program, the restoration of 125 prioritized foundation works will be completed in accordance with international standards as part of the “culture and art” section of the program.

The works will start with the historical artifacts in the Ahlat district of eastern Türkiye’s Bitlis province, with urban designs that have historical urban textures and improving historical city regions with a holistic approach. Scattered across 201 acres, the site holds the Ahlat Seljuk Meydan Cemetery, the world’s largest Turkish-Islamic cemetery on the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Tentative List. Offering a journey through history as an open-air museum, the cemetery features more than 8,000 graves, 1,500 of which are in perfect condition.

Also, the repair and restoration of Ahlat cupolas, which are known to date back to the 13th century, will be carried out. The conditions of other Seljuk artifacts such as cupolas and graveyards in the Lake Van basin will be determined, and repair and protection activities will be carried out.

Another landmark restoration work will be carried out in Seddülbahir, which roughly translates into “the wall of the sea,” a fortress that was built in 1659 together with Kumkale on the Anatolian side in Çanakkale to defend the entrance of the Dardanelles. As the land of martyrs, a cultural capital, and a place where the epic of existence was written, Çanakkale will be part of the restoration works within the scope of transforming war graves and battlefields into open-air museums.

Courtesy: Dailysabah