Ancient Castle Destroyed in Turkish Earthquake, But Most of the Damage is to Restoration Constructed in 2016

Gaziantep Castle is a castle on top of a mound in the center of Gaziantep, Turkey. First used as an observation point during the Hittite Empire, it was expanded into a castle during the Roman Empire. The castle was severely damaged by the earthquakes in February 2023.

However, some on Twitter are saying that the section that has collapses is a 'restored' part, not the original Roman castle. "Theodosian Walls have been restored several times and they collapse every time there's a minor earthquake, as the restored sections are nowhere near as durable or resistant as the original 5th to 15th century stonework," tweeted Evan Schultheis

The castle has been renovated numerous times. It saw changes made during the reign of the Ayyubids in the 12th and 13th centuries, as well as the Ottoman Empire, and played an important role during the War of Independence of the early 20th century.

It is used as the Gaziantep Defence and Heroism Panoramic Museum, and a documentary regarding the defence of the city against the French forces after the fall of the Ottoman Empire runs periodically.

On 6 February 2023, the castle was severely damaged by two consecutive earthquakes. Some of the eastern and southern bastions collapsed, and iron railings and walls around the castle were seriously damaged.