Post Earthquake Assessment of the Four-Legged Minaret in Diyarbakir Following the M7.8 and 7.6 Events in Kahramanmaraş Diyarbakır Dört Ayaklı Minarenin Mw 7.7 ve 7.6 Kahramanmaraş Depremleri Sonrasındaki Değerlendirmesi*

Following the twin (Mw7.7 and 7.6) Kahramanmaraş earthquakes of February 6, 2023, that caused severe damage in 3400 buildings and destroyed an additional 22 buildings Diyarbakır alone, a renewed assessment was carried out on one of the city landmarks, the four-legged minaret sitting freely on four round stone pillars situated near the 500-year old Şeyh Mutahhar mosque, an important historical edifice of the city. Its precarious support notwithstanding, the severe ground motions had only a slight impact on the minaret. In this study, the reasons for the minor damages observed on the structure in recent years, the interventions following these damages and the seismic behavior of the structure during the February 6 earthquake are examined. Analyses carried out using earthquake acceleration records recorded at a close distance to the structure are important in terms of shedding light on the seismic effects to which the structure may have been exposed during its 500-year life-span. Such investigations help facilitate handing the structure to future generations.