Medieval mountain gate to be on exhibit in Turkey soon

By Aziz Aslan

DIYARBAKIR, Turkey (AA) – A medieval mountain gate known as Dagkapi will be placed on the 8,000-year-old Walls of Diyarbakir in Turkish with the same name after renovation and exhibited in a few days.

Dagkapi, which has a history of more than a thousand years has seen many years of the Diyarbakir Walls and has been meticulously repaired by specialists.

Head of Diyarbakir Directorate of Surveying and Monuments Cemil Koc told Anadolu Agency that restoration of the unique gate started in November 2020.

“The original iron gate wings of 1,111-year-old Dagkapı was registered in the museum inventory in 1942 and was taken under protection. Dagkapı will be transported to its place to be mounted after 79 years of our work,” he said.

Koc added, “79 years after it was removed in 1942, the historical Dagkapi is being mounted in its old place on castles and bastions.”

He announced that the historical gate, which weighs 2,000 kilograms (over 4,400 lbs.), will be exhibited in its place in Diyarbakir in a few days.

The Citadel and the Walls of Diyarbakir, guarding the city for thousands of years, as if it was guarding a holy relic by surrounding the city magnificently, and 8,000 years old Hevsel Gardens are nominated as a candidate for United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization's (UNESCO) World Heritage List.

With its length of 6 kilometers, Walls of Diyarbakir, is the second-largest city wall in the world after the Great Wall of China. It is situated 100 m. above the valley of River Tigris. Diyarbakir still carries a medieval atmosphere with its walls encircling the city with its almost intact and impressive, 10-12 meters high and 3-5 meters thick, high walls.

* Writing by Dilan Pamuk in Ankara