The 3,500-year-old elephant fossil, the landmark of the city of Kahramanmaraş, survived after the devastating earthquake hit southeastern Türkiye on Feb. 6.

According to Safinaz Acıpayam, the director of the Kahramanmaraş Archaeology Museum, the staff immediately conducted a damage assessment and reported no harm after the quake.

Besides the fossil, the floor mosaics from the early Byzantine period belonging to the Germanicia ancient city remained undamaged.

Acıpayam reported that the building next to the museum was heavily damaged in the earthquake and is at risk of collapsing. To prevent any damage to the artifacts, they were safely packaged and moved to a secure area.

Meanwhile, restorers took care of the fossil and meticulously transported the bones one by one ensuring their safety.