
GILA BENMAYOR (HÜRRİYET NEWSPAPER WRITER)
UNESCO senior officials came all the way from Paris to Gaziantep to see what the latest situation is in Zeugma. The people around the table at Tilmen Restaurant in Gaziantep are as follows: UNESCO's Deputy Director-General for Culture, Mounir Bouchenaki, and UNESCO's Deputy Director for Projects, Minja Yang. , our UNESCO Ambassador Bozkurt Aran (appointed to Tehran), Gaziantep Governor Lütfullah Bilgin, Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Celal Doğan, Ministry of Culture Cultural Values Department Head Sermin Özduran, and archaeologist Mehmet Önal, who has been following the Zeugma excavations from the beginning. He also managed to bring these people together. Aykut Tuzcu, the owner of Gaziantep Sabah Newspaper, who is passionate about Zeugma, is Gaziantep. One of the cities I represent in our newspaper's "Hello Turkey" project is Gaziantep. Since I knew about UNESCO's visit here in advance, I am here on the same dates. Two birds with one stone. An opportunity to write about Gaziantep, which I love very much, and to learn closely about the latest developments in Zeugma. Minja Yang was on one side of me at the table, and Mounir Bouchenaki was on the other side. Bouchnaki and Yang were amazed by the Zeugma ruins they had visited and seen for two days in the morning. Especially the mosaics. Bouchenaki is clear on this subject: ''Zeugma is the number one ancient city in the world.'' 14 percent of the ancient city of Zeugma was flooded due to the Birecik Dam. 10 percent of what was submerged was rescued. That means there is still 4 percent in the water. Bouchenaki says that 44 mosaics were rescued and 9 of them remained under water. "They also need to be rescued immediately," he says. See what Bouchenaki, who is also an archaeologist, suggests for Zeugma, 80 percent of which is still unexcavated. View of the ancient city from space. An international Zeugma seminar. Establishing a center that will bring together all information and documents. A long-term action plan for the area to be excavated and expropriated. And of course, a mosaic museum. So what will be UNESCO's contribution? Since the Zeugma excavations will be a long-term project that will last for years, it is necessary to find financiers. At this point, UNESCO will act as a kind of coordinator, mobilizing EU funds and finding financiers. Immediately after the New Year's holiday, it will prepare a Zeugma report and start its contacts. UNESCO's involvement is a great opportunity for Zeugma. By the way, it is worth mentioning; After a two-year period of silence, the people of Gaziantep have rolled up their sleeves for this ancient city. Governor Lütfullah Bilgin has provided 300 billion lira from the Special Administration for the resumption of excavations. The completion of the additional building, the construction of which started in 1991, right next to the Gaziantep Museum, which is in a terrible state, is on the agenda. Gaziantep Chamber of Industry President Nejat Koçer, Sanko Group is in search of a new museum. The international seminar suggested by Bouchenaki will be held in Gaziantep next April. Then Prof. The mosaic exhibition organized by Nurhan Atasoy will be opened. Long story short, it seems that the fate of Zeugma will change. What will happen to the works under the tube passage? We did not only discuss Zeugma with the UNESCO team. Istanbul, which is facing the threat of being removed from UNESCO's cultural heritage, also came to the agenda. Minja Yang fell in love with Istanbul, where he came for the 1996 Habitat Summit.''Thousands of people came to the city for Habitat. "They traveled, they saw, they returned and they forgot Istanbul," he says. Minja Yang, who was greatly impressed by Istanbul, started the Balat-Fener project as soon as she returned. The 7 million Euro fund requested for this project has just arrived. Yang stated that 200 houses will be restored. At one point in the conversation, he brings up the "tube passage" project. As you know, the "tube passage" project, for which Japanese loans will be used, is expected to start in the first months of 2004. The project will extend from Gebze-Haydarpaşa, and from there to Sirkeci-Halkalı. The works are officially an archaeological treasure. The historical peninsula lying on it will be affected. Minja Yang is extremely worried. "It is necessary to benefit from the experiences of historical cities such as Marseille and Rome," she says. The Japanese are ready to provide a loan of 2.5 million dollars to save the archaeological artifacts on the historical peninsula. However, the Ministry of Tourism and Culture According to what I learned from the authorities, the tendency is not to take on such a debt burden. Istanbul Archeology Museum will provide support during the tube crossing works.