June 13, 2006
Erasing the past in Turkey
An inscription at a medieval dungeon translated as "Where God does not exist" caused a politically-charged spat in Turkey Tuesday as the Islamist-rooted government faced accusations of having ordered the erasure of the sign.Full story here.Newspapers quoted the head of the Archeology Museum in Bodrum, Yasar Yildiz, as saying that the culture ministry ordered the 500-year-old inscription scraped away after government inspectors decided that it had "no historical and archeological value".
Posted by David on June 13, 2006 11:10 PM
Not as spectacular as blowing up some Buddha-statues, but certainly as intolerant.
Posted by: Voor on June 14, 2006 10:34 AM
Just give them time. I'm afraid that in Turkey any non-Islamic site is at risk.
Posted by: MP on June 14, 2006 6:00 PM
This news was disturbing. They are one of our allies in theory.
Posted by: Gunner on June 14, 2006 6:33 PM
"Koc said the inspectors concluded the inscription was not authentic and was carved in 1994 during restoration work."
Anyone have a tourist guide from the preceding 500 years that mentions the inscription?
The current government of Turkey is having (well-deserved) troubles. While Islam-based, Turkish society is still appreciative of, and follows, the secular principles established by Attaturk. Why the news media is largely ignoring things like the 50,000+ crowd that met in the capitol about a week ago to show discontent with other Islamist (as opposed to Islamic, not quite the same) actions of the government I do not know.
Posted by: John Anderson on June 14, 2006 11:02 PM
cronaca.com