Before and after images show destruction caused by Turkey earthquakes

Before and after images show destruction caused by Turkey earthquakes
At least 2,300 people have been killed in Turkey and Syria as a result of Monday's massive earthquakes, which have damaged thousands of structures across the two countries.
2 min read
06 February, 2023
Cities across southern Turkey and northern Syria were heavily damaged in the earthquake [CAN EROK/AFP via Getty Images]

The damage caused by Monday's earthquakes across southern Turkey and northern Syria has been immense, and is starkly visible in before and after images of damaged areas. 

More than 2,300 people have reportedly died in the earthquakes, and the death toll is likely to continue to grow over the coming days.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said at least 2,818 buildings have been destroyed in Turkey, including residential structures, historic neighbourhoods, and religious buildings. 

Cukurova - Adana
Cukurova - Adana [Zeynel Cebeci - Wikipedia]
Cukurova - Adana [Omer Yildiz/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images]

The Cukurova district in Adana, southern Turkey, was heavily damaged in the earthquake. 

Gaziantep castle [Getty/file photo]
Gaziantep castle after earthquake
The historic citadel was heavily damaged during the quake [Mehmet Akif Parlak/Anadolu via Getty]

The Roman-era castle in Gaziantep, considered one of the best-preserved citadels in Turkey, was greatly damaged during the quakes. Images show that the damaged battlements and walls resulted in debris cascading down the side of the fort. 

Parts of Turkey and Syria are considered part of the cradle of civilisation, boasting countless relics and ancient cities such as Aleppo - which was also heavily damaged during the quake. 

Iskenderun - screenshot
Ontur Hotel in Iskenderun [screenshot from Google Maps]
The hotel and its surrounding structures were heavily damaged [Serkan Avci/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images]

Structures around the Ontur hotel in Iskenderun, a port city on Turkey's Mediterranean coast, were completely destroyed. 

Latin church - Hatay
Cathedral of the Annunciation in Iskenderun [wikipedia - Dosseman]
Parts of the cathedral were turned to rubble by the earthquake [Sezgin Pancar/Anadolu Agency via Getty]

The Cathedral of the Annunciation, a 150-year-old Catholic church in Iskenderun, was among the religious buildings that were heavily damaged.

Gaziantep - before
A neighbourhood in Gaziantep [screenshot from Google Maps]
Earthquake damage in Gaziantep [Mehmet Akif Parlak/Anadolu Agency via Getty]

Before and after photographs of a residential and commercial street in the Turkish city of Gaziantep showed entire buildings reduced to rubble following the 7.8 magnitude earthquake.