Still recovering from the disastrous earthquakes, Turkey is now preparing for the possible disasters of this kind to hit the country in the future. Towards this goal, it was reported that the restoration and strengthening works against possible earthquake risk in Istanbul's Grand Bazaar, which have been going on for about three years, mostly came to an end in April 2023. Moreover, nearly 400 small artefacts from the Hatay Archaeology Museum, some of which got damaged during the Kahramanmaraş-centered earthquakes in February, were sent to the Kırşehir Museum for protection against aftershocks.

On a brighter note, the past month saw the return of the artefacts smuggled over the years from the country. For instance, the Met Museum returned looted antiquities while the Antalya Archaeology Museum opened an exhibition displaying a special section of 12 smuggled historical artefacts the U.S. returned to Turkey. Moreover, efforts are underway to return the head of the life-size bronze statue of Roman Emperor Septimius Severus from Denmark. The body of the statue has already been returned from the U.S. Finally, Italy returned to Turkish authorities a funerary stele, dating from the 2nd century CE and carrying a loving inscription to the dead woman’s spouse, after investigation determined that it was illegally excavated in Zeugma in southeastern Turkey.

In March 2023, the news concerning archaeological activities in the area of Turkey was dominated, unsurprisingly, by the stories related to the February earthquakes that shook the south-east of the country. However, several important discoveries were also reported, including the new rock paintings from the prehistoric era found on Mount Latmos. Moreover, the Belgian archaeologists digging at the site of the ancient city of Sagalassos unearthed a most unusual burial. The burial was sealed with two dozen bricks and an additional layer of plaster. Topping everything off, around three dozen bent nails were sprinkled around the edges of the tomb, possibly as magic talismans meant to keep the deceased person trapped inside.

In February 2023, all other news from Turkey was overshadowed by the tragic earthquakes that shook southern and central parts of the country, as well as northern and western Syria. As we write, more than 51 thousand deaths have been confirmed, including more than 44 thousand people who perished in Turkey. The terrible loss of life, and the devastation that affected around 14 million people, was accompanied by widespread damage in the area. Below, you will find the links to many articles dealing with the damage to Turkey's historical heritage, including the historical sites and buildings, and archaeological sites, such as Arslantepe, Hatay Archaeology Museum, and Gaziantep Castle.