Authorities in the southern province of Antalya have introduced new measures at the Necropolis Museum after birds died after becoming trapped in protective netting installed to shield the site’s ancient remains from damage caused by bird droppings.
The museum was built over the Eastern Necropolis of the ancient city of Attaleia and is covered by a steel roof structure. The netting was installed by the Antalya Surveying and Monuments Directorate to prevent pigeons and other birds from nesting inside the roof and contaminating the archaeological site and exhibition areas.
However, some birds entered through openings in the netting and were unable to find their way out, resulting in their deaths. Members of the Antalya Animal Rights Platform gathered outside the museum, which preserves a 2,300-year-old burial ground, calling for measures to prevent further bird deaths.
Antalya Surveying and Monuments Director Veysel Akın said the intervention was carried out in 2023 after authorities identified heavy bird nesting beneath the roof structure as a major problem.
According to Akın, bird droppings posed health risks and threatened both the building’s structural elements and the archaeological remains. Inspections found that uncovered sections beneath the roof allowed birds to enter and nest, leading to contamination of circulation areas and exhibition spaces.
Following consultations with the project’s architect, authorities decided to install a metal mesh system beneath the roof without altering the building’s architectural character and the work was carried out with approval from the relevant general directorate.
Akın said the system significantly reduced bird-related problems but did not completely prevent birds from entering through openings that could not be modified because of the building’s architectural design.
As a result, the Antalya Museum Directorate also installed ultrasonic bird deterrent devices.
He added that roof leaks later emerged and under an existing protocol between the Culture and Tourism
Ministry and the Antalya Metropolitan Municipality, responsibility for addressing the water infiltration and other structural issues was assigned to the municipality.
During subsequent inspections, museum officials also installed bird-deterrent spikes at railings and other locations suitable for nesting, while the municipality carried out roof waterproofing works.
Akın said temporary openings were later made in the metal mesh and roof windows during maintenance, allowing birds to enter the roof space again.
To remove the trapped birds, the museum temporarily opened roof windows and installed ultrasonic bird deterrent systems to guide the animals outside, he said, adding that all birds had been safely evacuated and none remained trapped inside the structure.
Authorities have also installed an additional camera system to monitor the roof independently from the museum’s existing security cameras. The system will be used to detect any future bird entry so that further preventive measures can be implemented if necessary
