Damage to archaeological sites in Tartous as a result of the earthquake

Tartous Antiquities Department recorded damages to some archaeological areas in the governorate as a result of the earthquake that hit Syria on the sixth of February.

According to the department’s preliminary reports, the earthquake led to the collapse of part of the western front façade of Al-Marqab Castle in Banias, part of the roof, the eastern wall and some walls, a complete collapse of the water drainage channel south of the church, and a partial collapse of the chimney with cracks and displacements on the western side of the Donjon tower.

The earthquake caused partial collapses and cracks in Al-Aleqa Castle, displacement of the stones of the gate of Suleiman Fortress with the fall of some stones, the collapse of large parts of the building of Mawla Hassan’s shrine in the Qadmus area and partial collapses in the Samarian Khans in Tartous, and in Umm Hosh Tower in Safita. The earthquake also caused partial collapses and cracks of Qala’at al-Khawabi mosque, and the collapse of parts of the remnants of the walls of the residential village.

New serious cracks were observed in the decorative columns in Tartous Cathedral, in addition to some cracks in Safita Tower.

Head of the Antiquities Department in Tartous, Engineer Marwan Hassan, noted in a statement to SANA reporter that the department has formed specialized committees to inspect archaeological sites to assess the damages caused as a result of the earthquake. They are now in the process of preparing detailed questionnaires for each site separately.

Hassan confirmed that the antiquities teams are still working on inspecting the archaeological sites and buildings in the governorate to assess the damages in detail.

Inas Abdulkareem