Historical 450-year-old mansions in Elazığ, in Türkiye’s eastern Anatolian region, which have experienced three earthquakes of over 6.0 magnitude in the last three years, continue to resist earthquakes as well as time.
The mansions made of mud brick – standing firm, without the slightest sign of any impending collapse or crack – astonish those who see them.
Tens of thousands of houses and residential buildings were destroyed after two major earthquakes struck the southeastern province of Kahramanmaraş on Feb. 6 in less than 10 hours. At least 44,000 people lost their lives, and dozens of thousands more were left injured.
Jolted by an earthquake of magnitude 6.8 in January 2020, the city of Elazığ was also heavily damaged by the latest earthquakes.
While one building in the city collapsed, the number of heavily damaged buildings exceed 2,000, the Ihlas News Agency (IHA) reported. However, even the slightest crack was not registered in the 450-year-old historic mansions in the Ulukent District, formerly known as Hüseynik, on the outskirts of the antic city of Harput.
Talking about mansions, Kenan Sağay, one of the neighborhood’s residents, said, “We have 17 registered structures. Thank God, none of them have collapsed or cracked. The 450-year-old houses are always standing.”
“The grounds here are substantial. One-year-old buildings in the bazaar have been destroyed. This place has endured three major earthquakes,” he noted.
“Those who see it are surprised,” Sağay added.
Underlining that the area is rocky as it’s located on the outskirts of Harput, he noted that despite the mansions being single-story and adobe houses, they had not endured any damage.
“I have been living here for 60 years. The houses made of adobe are constantly standing. They are still standing. An earthquake strikes, but nothing happens here. The ground is excellent. On one hand, these houses are made of adobe but stand firm, while concrete buildings on the other hand have collapsed,” said another local, Selahattin Karabulut.
