03.07.2026 20:00
A shelter, believed to have been built during World War II to protect civilians, has been uncovered beneath the Vakıflar İş Hanı, which is currently being demolished in Zonguldak. The Karabük Regional Board for the Protection of Cultural Assets has taken the structure, estimated to be 83 years old, under examination.
During the demolition of the Vakıflar Business Center, located opposite the Miner's Monument in Zonguldak city center, an entrance that had been closed for many years was uncovered.
FROM WORLD WAR II
With the entrance being revealed, it was seen that there is an underground structure connected to other ventilation shafts and entrances in the area. The structure, identified as a shelter, is believed to have been built by the Civil Defense Organization of the period in 1943-1944, during World War II, to protect civilians against possible air raids and war conditions. It was learned that the structure became invisible over the years after its entrances were closed due to buildings constructed in the area.
60 METERS LONG
According to technical assessments, the shelter consists of an underground corridor system approximately 60 meters long and 4 meters wide. It was stated that there is a connection corridor of about 50 meters between the entrance near the New Mosque and other shaft mouths within the bazaar, and the entrance sections are approximately 18 square meters. It was also expressed that there are rooms connected to the main underground galleries.
A REPORT WILL BE PREPARED
To preserve the structure that emerged during the demolition work, experts from the Karabük Regional Board for the Protection of Cultural Properties conducted an inspection at the site. Provincial Director of Culture and Tourism Taner Dursun also participated in the inspections. It was reported that the board will prepare a report assessing the historical, architectural, and cultural characteristics of the structure to determine its suitability for registration. If the shelter is registered as a cultural property, reevaluation of applications in the area under relevant legislation, halting the ongoing construction process, or replanning it according to conservation principles may come to the agenda.