Semsûr (Adıyaman)- Perrhe, an ancient city in the kingdom of Commagene, was built by Romans in 325 A.D. In 2001, a votive relief of Jupiter Dolichenus was found in the city. The city is an archaeological site. In Semsûr, Many houses and buildings collapsed or were destroyed in the February 6 earthquakes. The TOKİ (Housing Development Administration of Turkey) has already started building houses for quake survivors in cooperation with the Ministry of Environment, Urbanisation and Climate Change. One of three areas where the construction of the new buildings continue is Örenli. However, the dynamites detonated for the construction damages the ancient city.

 The remains of the city are located in the suburb of Örenli in the northern section of Semsûr (Adıyaman). Ancient sources say that Perrhe was one of the five major cities of the Kingdom of Commagene, one of the Hellenistic kingdoms. In the city, a settlement was built by shaping the rocks on a hill and most of the graves are grouped together in sections accessed by stairs carved into the cliff face at various points. The city is a popular tourist attraction.

 Detonated dynamites damage the city

 Many houses and buildings collapsed or were destroyed in the February 6 earthquakes in Semsûr. The TOKİ (Housing Development Administration of Turkey) has already started building houses for quake survivors in cooperation with the Ministry of Environment, Urbanisation and Climate Change. Dynamites have been detonated for the construction of 60,000 houses in the area.

The detonated dynamites have affected both the citizens living near the construction area and the ancient city next to the construction area. The local people say the detonated dynamites have damaged the ancient city. The ancient city, which survived the February 6 earthquakes without any damage, is now being damaged by the construction of new houses for quake survivors.

In an interview with NuJINHA, an employee of the ancient city said that they felt every dynamite detonated for the construction of the new houses. “The detonated dynamites pose a threat to the ancient city.” The Provincial Directorate of Culture and Tourism has taken no measure to protect the ancient city and it has released no statement about the effects of the detonated dynamites on the ancient city.