Turkish artifacts in Syria being destroyed

Seljuk and Ottoman era structures are being deliberately destroyed in Syria, according to a professor who previously worked on these artifacts. Some people feel ill about their existence and the war is used as an excuse to destroy them, he says Some of the 17 Seljuk and Ottoman artifacts in Syria which were registered within the scope of a 2009 project titled "The Inventory of Seljuk Artifacts" under the auspices of former Turkish President Abdullah Gül have been destroyed during the civil war in the country, according to Selçuk University Professor Osman Erav?ar. 

AA Photo

Erav?ar said before the conflicts began in the country, the 17 significant Seljuk and Ottoman cultural artifacts in various parts of Syria had been photographed and registered as part of the project, but now many of them have been destroyed. 

Speaking about the structures from the Nebataean Kingdom in Petra, located between Raqqa and Aleppo, the professor said, "There are mostly mosques, madrasahs and tombs here. But the most important one among the artifacts in Syria is the minaret of the Great Mosque of Aleppo. This minaret had Arabic-Emevi features in its architecture but reflected the characteristics of the Seljuk era. What was important to us was the inscription of this minaret. Unfortunately, this minaret does not exist today." 
 
Erav?ar said the minaret was destroyed by the soldiers of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime on grounds they had been shot at from the balcony of the minaret. 

"But I think the reason is different. The existence of the name of the sultan Melikshah on the inscription may have caused the minaret to be destroyed," he said. 

Historical artifacts removed and sold 

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