Tell Atchana, Alalakh is an open air archaeological park free to visits. The site offers the experience of walking in and around the two burnt palaces from approximately 4000-3500 years ago which were excavated in the 1930s by Sir Leonard Woolley. These burnt mud brick buildings are unique and well preserved examples of Syro-Anatolian Bronze Age architecture. These still standing buildings appear in every textbook produced on Anatolian and Near Eastern History and Archaeology. Both structures were made of sun-dried mud bricks with integrated timber supports and stone facings (orthostats) on the ground level. They were burnt in antiquity, thus providing excellent preservation conditions. However, nearly 80 years of exposure to environmental degradation and accelerated climatic fluctuations in the region has severely damaged the integrity of the standing monuments, and they now require urgent attention. Efforts have been made to raise funding for the construction of a roof that will protect the endangered cultural heritage exposed to harsh environmental conditions for almost a century.
