The 5,000-year-old Harput Neighborhood in Elazığ, Türkiye, listed on UNESCO’s Temporary Heritage List, remained undamaged after multiple powerful earthquakes, including a recent 5.9 magnitude quake in Malatya. Despite being shaken by earlier tremors in 2020 and 2023, the area’s historic sites, such as Harput Castle, the crooked minaret, mausoleums, and ancient structures, showed no signs of damage. Harput’s headman, Mehmet Demir, attributed this resilience to the solid construction of centuries-old buildings, which continue to stand firm without a stone displaced.
Rıdvan Yeşilırmak – Erkan Bay