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3 clusters · 16 sources · 14 days · First seen · Last updated

Turkey historic heritage restoration

Overview

In late July 2026, Turkish authorities were overseeing the restoration of Kahramanmaraş Castle, damaged in the February 6 earthquakes, while a recently restored 16th‑century Namazgâh Hamam in İzmir suffered neglect, vandalism and theft after being transferred to the Directorate of Foundations.

By early August, the focus expanded to additional Ottoman‑era structures. The Kahramanmaraş Metropolitan Municipality approved a 32 million TL project to restore the early‑20th‑century Çiftaslan Konağı, removing later concrete additions and reviving original stone and wood features. Simultaneously, Istanbul’s Fatih district completed scientific conservation of numerous Ottoman tombstones and mausoleums under the “Miras Fatih” program, documenting, repairing and reinstalling them. Both initiatives underscore a broader municipal effort to preserve Turkey’s historic architecture and cultural identity following earlier restoration and neglect challenges.

By mid-August, restoration efforts expanded to other earthquake-affected regions. In İskenderun, Hatay, the 154-year-old Surp Karasun Manuk Armenian Church began a restoration phase to return the structure to its original form. In Gaziantep, work commenced on 200-year-old ‘Antep houses’ in the Yaprak and Çakmak neighborhoods, with plans to convert them into boutique hotels and cultural centers. Additionally, the Gaziantep Archaeology Museum reopened to the public following structural reinforcements and modern renovations to its collection of 3,448 artifacts.

Entities

Surp Karasun Manuk Armenian Church · Kahramanmaraş Metropolitan Municipality · Gaziantep Archaeology Museum · Mehmet Ergün Turan · Miras Fatih

Timeline

  1. 4 days ago

    [CULTURE] 8 sources
    Turkey begins restoration of earthquake-damaged historical sites

    Restoration projects have begun on earthquake-damaged historical sites in Turkey, including the Surp Karasun Manuk Armenian Church in İskenderun and traditional houses in Gaziantep.

  2. 13 days ago

    [CULTURE] 7 sources
    Turkey Restores Historic Ottoman Buildings in Kahramanmaraş and Istanbul

    Turkey’s Kahramanmaraş and Istanbul municipalities launch major restorations of Ottoman heritage sites, including Çiftaslan Konağı and numerous historic tombstones, to preserve cultural identity.

  3. 18 days ago

    [CULTURE] 3 sources
    Turkey's restored historic sites deteriorate amid neglect

    Turkey's Kahramanmaraş Castle is being restored after earthquakes, while İzmir's restored Namazgâh Hamam fell into ruin after transfer to Vakıflar, highlighting heritage neglect.

Sources

bursahaber.com · csr-news.com · cumhuriyet.com.tr · dunya.com · gazetedamga.com.tr · gazeterize.com · haberlermersin.com · haberport.com · kanalben.com · lacrosseacademy.com · malatyaguncel.com · marasmanset.com · medyagazete.com · mersinhaber.com · poweredbydaylight.com · rayhaber.com

This summary has been updated 1 time: see revision history