12.08.2026 16:40
Historic city walls in Iznik, a district of Bursa on UNESCO's World Heritage Tentative List, were written on with spray paint. Residents, stating that the walls have been similarly defiled for years, are requesting measures to be taken on the matter.
The historical city walls in Bursa's İznik district, which are on the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List, continue to be the target of spray paint attacks. Despite regular cleaning efforts by teams, the 2,400-year-old walls are constantly being dirtied by insensitive individuals, and local residents are demanding deterrent penalties and security camera measures.
ON THE LIST SINCE 2014
The İznik walls, whose construction began in the 4th century BC during the Bithynia Kingdom and which took their final form with additions from the Roman and Byzantine periods, are being damaged by writings and figures made with spray paint. The massive walls, which have been on the UNESCO Tentative List since 2014, are 4,970 meters long and 10-13 meters high, and are subjected to visual pollution through names, phone numbers, car brands, and heart figures written on them.
"THEY ARE CLEANED BUT PAINTED AGAIN"
The constant targeting of the historical structure with 4 main gates and 114 towers, which hosts hundreds of thousands of domestic and foreign tourists annually, draws the reaction of the district's residents and visitors. Latife Esmanur Dere from İznik, stating that the same situation repeats despite the walls being cleaned many times, reacted to the insensitivity with these words:
"I have lived in İznik since I was born. For years, our biggest problem has been the walls being dirtied in this way. They have been cleaned many times, but every time they are brought back to the same state. There are writings and dates on the walls; fires are even lit at their base. It's not a pleasant sight for visitors coming here. To ensure deterrence, security cameras should be installed and penal actions should be taken. We want definitive measures to be taken now."
"MEASURES MUST BE INCREASED"
Despite the regular cleaning and paint removal efforts carried out by authorities, there are demands to increase security measures in the area to prevent the damage that cannot be stopped.