The article says the Hittites first used the hilltop as an observation point. The Romans expanded it into a main castle in the 2nd and 3rd centuries. Justinian I had it renovated between 527 and 565, and the Ayyubids and Ottomans altered it later. It names no architect or style.
The round castle has a circumference of 1,200 meters (3,900 feet) and twelve bastions, with stone walls. It stands on a mound in the center of the city.
The February 2023 earthquakes badly damaged it, and some eastern and southern bastions collapsed. Restoration began in September 2023 with Ministry of Culture and Tourism support, and the article expected a reopening at the end of 2024. It houses the Gaziantep Defence and Heroism Panoramic Museum. The article does not name an owner.
Comments