Between 2002 and 2024, the number of restoration, exhibitions and landscaping projects for cultural assets undertaken by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism reached 2,511.
According to information obtained by Anadolu Agency (AA), the ministry has not only continued restoration efforts for cultural assets but also repaired structures damaged in the Feb. 6, 2023, earthquakes centered in Kahramanmaraş, including buildings allocated to the ministry.
While the number of such projects in the decade before 2002 was approximately 250, the figure rose to 2,511 between 2002 and 2024.
In the aftermath of the earthquakes, the ministry spent TL 3 billion (approximately $90 million) on tasks such as separating and supporting cultural debris, as well as post-earthquake restoration efforts for sites including Gaziantep Castle, Adıyaman Kahta Castle, Hatay Archaeology Museum and Elbistan Museum.
The restoration, exhibitions and strengthening of the Saint Pierre Memorial Museum, Malatya Atatürk House, the Archaeology Museum, and Beşkonaklar Museum have been completed. Other completed works include the repairs of Adıyaman Kahta Castle, Adıyaman Museum, the Diyarbakır Paşa Hammam, Saint George Church and the Çardaklı Hammam.
Meanwhile, restoration efforts for Gaziantep Zeugma Mosaic and Archaeology Museum, Gaziantep Castle and the Elbistan Museum in Kahramanmaraş are scheduled for completion in 2025.
The restoration of Kilis Ravanda Castle, Alaeddin Yavaşça Museum, Harran Castle and Siverek Castle in Şanlıurfa, as well as the Archaeology and Mosaic Museum, was completed this year. Emergency interventions for the Anavarza Triumph Gate in Adana were also finalized.
Repair and restoration works at Hatay Archaeology Museum are continuing in phases, with plans to reopen the museum by 2025.
Restoration works by the General Directorate of Foundations are also ongoing as part of the cultural heritage initiatives.
The number of restoration projects for foundation assets increased from just 46 in the decade before 2002 to 5,913 between 2002 and 2024, representing a nearly 130-fold increase. Restoration and repair work for 154 properties are still in progress.
Following the Kahramanmaraş-centered earthquakes on Feb. 6, restoration processes were initiated for all 377 damaged foundation cultural assets. These activities are financed through foundation revenues without relying on central budget allocations.
Restoration projects for UNESCO World Heritage Sites, including the Istanbul Chora Mosque, Sivas Divriği Great Mosque, Istanbul Sultan Ahmed Mosque, Istanbul Hz. Cabir Mosque and the Istanbul İbrahim Hakkı Konyalı Library have been completed, allowing these structures to reopen for worship and service.
This year, for the first time in its history, a comprehensive project for the Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque was developed, with meticulous efforts to protect the structure against potential risks.
Restoration works for Edirne Selimiye Mosque, Lefkoşa Selimiye Mosque in Cyprus, Shkodër Mosque in Albania, Istanbul Fatih Beyazıt Mosque and Istanbul Fatih Zeynep Sultan Mosque are scheduled for completion by 2025.
Additionally, this year saw the opening of the Mihrişah Valide Sultan Soup Kitchen in Eyüp, Istanbul, as well as the Hacı Bayram Veli Soup Kitchen in Ankara and the Gülbahar Hatun Soup Kitchen in Tokat.
Work is ongoing for the planned opening of soup kitchens in Balıkesir and Gaziantep in 2025.