Photo Album of Provinces and Sites in the Regions of Turkey that have been affected by the 2023 Earthquake.
Adana
From top right to bottom:
1) Sabanci Merkez Camii Mosque – a relatively new mosque (1998) and the second biggest in Turkey, it was built on an Armenian gravesite.
2) Yag Kami Mosque – the oldest in the city (1380) was built atop an Armenian Apostolic Church after the Ramadanid Empire took the city from the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia. 3) 4th Century Roman Stone Bridge – also known as Taşköprü currently, and Ponte Sarus in Roman times, this bridge on the Seyhan River was key for trade between the Mediterranian and Anatolia and Persia. Some say it may be the oldest bridge in the world still being used.
From right:
- Snake Castle – also known as Yılankale in Turkish and Levonkla in Armenian, was built by Leo I (Levon) the Magnificient at the turn of the 13th Century.
- Varda Viaduct – was built for rail travel and was part of a plan between Germany and Turkey to connect Berlin to Basra, Iraq so that Germany may have a consistent supply of oil.
All photos from Aladağlar National Park – Aladağlar Mountains, meaning Crimson Mountains, are part of the Anti-Taurus mountain range. Mountains here have an average of 11,500 ft. with the highest being 12,358 ft.
Adıyaman
All photos are from Mount Nemrut, where an assumed royal tomb from the 1st Century was made by Antioch I Theos of Commagene. The statues depict both Iranian and Greek figures as the Commagene Kingdom was Greco-Persian.
From right to left:
- Karakuş Tumulus – is a mausoleum that was also part of the Commagene Kingdom.
- Severan Bridge – also known as Cendere Bridge, was built by Septimus Severus around the 3rd Century and is considered to be one of the oldest bridges still in use.
Diyarbakır
From top right to bottom left:
- Diyarbakır Fortress – Originally built as part of the Roman city Amida and was under construction and expansion from 297 ACE to the following 1500-plus years under the Romans, Sassanians, Byzantines, Marwanids, Ayyubids, and Ottomans. They are considered the widest and longest defensive walls after the Great Wall of China.
- St. Mary Syriac Orthodox Church – first constructed as a pagan temple in the 1st Century BCE and was finished as a church in the 3rd Century BCE.
- St. Giragos Armenian Church – the largest Armenian Church in the Middle East, this church goes back to the early 1600s and has a bell tower which is the tallest structure in the city.