Several archaeological sites in Syria were badly damaged after a devastating earthquake struck the country on Monday morning, the Syrian General Directorate of Antiquities and Museums (DGAM) said, as quoted by CNN and AFP.

The source said Aleppo’s citadel, which dates back to the 13th century, suffered more damage.

“Parts of the Ottoman mill, located inside the Aleppo citadel, fell and parts of the defensive walls in the north-east showed cracks and fissures,” DGAM said in a statement posted on Facebook.

In addition, “significant parts of the minaret of the Ayyubid mosque” inside the citadel collapsed, “including the entrance to the Mamluk defensive tower,” the statement added.

In the old city of Aleppo (located in northwestern Syria), several residential buildings near the historic walls collapsed and cracked.

The General Directorate of Antiquities and Museums posted photos on Facebook showing the damaged minaret of the Ayyubid mosque, the facade of the Ottoman hospice and parts of the Aleppo citadel.

Aleppo is particularly famous for its citadel, an architectural gem of the Middle Ages, as well as its old city, which was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in Danger in 2018 after years of civil war.

In Hama province, central Syria, teams of archaeologists reported “some damaged buildings inside the old Al Markab castle” in the city of Baniyas, as well as the partial collapse of some walls and a tower.

Historical facades also collapsed in the city of Hama.

In Al-Kadmus, a rock fell in the area of ​​the castle in this city of Tartus province, residential buildings collapsed inside the castle.

DGAM teams continue to assess the damage caused by the earthquake, but do not yet have accurate information on possible damage in the ancient city of Palmyra.

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