The fortress in Aleppo and several other archaeological sites in Syria were damaged by the earthquake that hit the area, the General Directorate for Antiquities and Museums announced today.
The directorate stated that parts inside the fortress fell, and parts of the defensive walls in the northeast cracked and tilted.
It is also stated that large parts of the mosque inside the fortress were demolished, as well as the entrance to the defense tower.
In the old city of Aleppo in the northwest of Syria, several residential buildings located next to those historic walls have collapsed or are cracked.
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The General Directorate for Antiquities and Museums published on Facebook pictures of damaged minarets and mosques, facades and parts of the Aleppo fortress.
Aleppo is known for its fortress - a medieval architectural jewel, and for the old city, which was included in the UNESCO list of endangered world heritage in 2018, after several years of civil war.
In the province of Hama, in the central part of Syria, archaeological teams registered some damaged buildings inside the ancient castle of Al Markab in the city of Banyas, as well as partially collapsed walls and one fallen tower.
Historic facades were also demolished in the city of Hama.
In Kamdus, stone blocks fell near the city's castle in Tartus province, and residential buildings collapsed in the castle grounds.
The Directorate continues to assess the damage and so far there is no information about the ancient city of Palmyra.
An earthquake of magnitude 7,8 hit southern Turkey and neighboring Syria early this morning.
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