MEDİNE MAMEDOĞLU

Amed- The walls of Amed (Diyarbakır) are on the UNESCO World Heritage list but they go to wrack and ruin. No restoration has been carried out for 20 years and the stones of the walls begin to fall down. Last year, an earthquake of magnitude 6.8 hit the Sivrice district of Elazığ province and the earthquake caused damage to the walls. But nothing has been done to restore the walls.

Diyarbakır Metropolitan Municipality has closed the damaged parts of the walls and puts a sign reading, “It is dangerous and forbidden to stand under the city walls”. Union of Chambers of Turkish Engineers and Architects in Amed (Diyarbakır) Co-chair Selma Aslan says no restoration has been carried out in the area that has been destroyed for a year. Selma also says the damage on the walls causing a risk for people's life.

Parts damaged by the earthquake have been restored

Stating that many stones fell down in the area between Urfa Gate and Çift Gate after the earthquake, Selma Aslan says even though a year has passed, the measures taken in the area are insufficient. Selma reminds that the walls were home to many civilizations and that the walls are a 7,000-year-old historical heritage. UNESCO listed the walls as a World Heritage Site in 2015 along with Hevsel Gardens.

Wrong practices damage the historical walls

Stating that a restoration work is being carried out for the towers located in the area, Selma Aslan says that the same work should be carried to the collapsed parts of the walls.

“Nothing has been done for the walls since 2015. In fact, the use of heavy weapons during the conflict period and then the use of construction equipment in the area damaged the walls. Diyarbakır City Walls were restored in every period and most of them have survived thanks to the restorations. However, the wrong practices carried out in the area for 20 years have damaged the historical walls. Projects should be carried out by determining the current condition of the walls and completing the necessary researches. Multi-stored buildings should not be allowed to be built around the walls. Priority should be given to the destroyed and collapsed walls and towers that are dangerous for people's life. Restoration works should be carried out by expert teams.”