M. Masum Suer: When you said magnificence, were you mentioning this building?

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Award-winning photographer M. Masum Suer asked after taking a picture of the Benusen Tower, “What is this white construction in front of the tower?”

The Municipality of Diyarbakır has announced in 2021 that it will devastate the houses around the city to enhance the magnificence of the city walls. About 200 buildings were destroyed. The municipality destroyed houses and then built a white building.

The governor, who also works as a municipal administrator, said that he will plant trees, and when people come to the city, they will admire to towers, and they will be able to walk around the towers in the trees and greenery.

Towers are on the UNESCO List!

In 2015, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, UNESCO, put Sur to the World Heritage List.

Suer said that the white building was construct right in front of the most touristic and historical tower.

When tourists and international photographers come to the city, they take a good view of the walls from a hillier. The white building is exactly in the viewfinder of the photographs. I was bothered about it when I went there. The municipality says it will be an information office (for tourists). Some indigenes of that neighborhood also told me that it will be a cafe.

M. Masum Suer

In 2021, when the buildings were destroyed, the indigenes told the BBC that they did not want to leave their homes. The government has given them a small amount of money, they cannot build a house with that money or stay in rent.

Trees are also cut in Hevsel Gardens. The municipality says they are aware of it. They have stopped the cutting of trees and charged a guard in front of it. But the machines are still working there.

M. Masum Suer

Who is M. Masum Suer?

M. Masum Suer started his career as a journalist in 1974, and worked until 1993 as a reporter, photojournalist, writer, redactor and representative. He is especially known for his pictures of historical places.

This news was translated by Yonca Sarsilmaz