But some local residents are less keen, describing it as a "ridiculous" sight which disrespects the town's illustrious history. During the Ottoman era, Amasya played an important role in preparing princes to become sultans. They were sent to govern the city as part of their training for later ruling over the entire empire. "Everybody knows that mobile phones did not exist during that time period. It is disrespectful to our ancestors to portray a prince in that way," one local tells Today's Zaman . "Whoever broke that part of the statue should have just removed it completely."