Endangered Site: The City of Hasankeyf, Turkey
A new hydroelectric dam threatens the ancient city, home to thousands of human-made caves
- By Diane M. Bolz
- Smithsonian magazine, March 2009, Subscribe
The waters of the Tigris River gave rise to the first settlements of the Fertile Crescent in Anatolia and Mesopotamia—the cradle of civilization. The ancient city of Hasankeyf, built on and around the banks of the river in southeastern Turkey, may be one of the oldest continuously inhabited settlements in the world, spanning some 10,000 years. Hasankeyf and its surrounding limestone cliffs are home to thousands of human-made caves, 300 medieval monuments and a unique canyon ecosystem—all combining to create a beguiling open-air museum.
But the city, along with the archaeological artifacts still buried beneath it, is slated to become a sunken treasure. Despite widespread protests from local authorities, archaeologists, architects, preservationists and environmental groups, the massive hydroelectric Ilisu Dam is expected to be completed in 2013. The reservoir created by the dam will inundate the site's caves and flood most of its structures.
More than 20 cultures have left their mark at Hasankeyf. The first settlers probably lived along the Tigris in caves carved into the rock cliffs. (The ancient Assyrian name for the place was Castrum Kefa, meaning "castle of the rock.") The Romans built a fortress there circa A.D. 300 to patrol their empire's eastern border with Persia and monitor the transport of crops and livestock. In the fifth century A.D., the city became the Byzantine bishopric of Cephe; it was conquered in A.D. 640 by the Arabs, who called it Hisn Kayfa, or "rock fortress." Hasankeyf would next be successively ruled by the Turkish Artukid dynasty, the Ayyubids (a clan of Kurdish chieftains) and the Mongols, who conquered the region in 1260.
Hasankeyf emerged as an important commercial center along the Silk Road during the early Middle Ages. Marco Polo likely passed over its once-majestic stone, brick and wooden bridge, built around 1116 (only two massive stone piers and one arch remain). In 1515, the city was absorbed into the Ottoman Empire and has since remained a part of modern Turkey.
Among the site's most important structures are the ruins of the 12th-century palace of the Artukid kings; the El Rizk Mosque, built in 1409 by the Ayyubid sultan Suleiman; and the 15th-century cylindrical Tomb of Zeynel Bey (the eldest son of Uzun Hasan, who ruled over the region for 25 years). The tomb is decorated with glazed blue and turquoise bricks in geometric patterns that suggest a significant artistic link between Central Asia and Anatolia.
"About 200 different sites will be affected by the Ilisu Dam," says Zeynep Ahunbay, a professor of architectural history at Istanbul Technical University. "But Hasankeyf is the most visible and representative of all, due to its picturesque location and rich architectural content. It is one of the best-preserved medieval sites in Turkey."
The consortium of German, Swiss, Austrian and Turkish contractors charged with erecting the Ilisu Dam has already begun constructing a bridge and service roads for the transportation of building materials. The 453-foot-high dam will hold back the waters of the Tigris just before it flows into Syria and Iraq, creating a massive 121-square-mile reservoir that will raise the water level in Hasankeyf more than 200 feet. The consortium and the Turkish government maintain that the dam will provide power and irrigation to the area, encourage local development and create jobs. And, they say, the reservoir will be a magnet for tourists and water sports.
Opponents counter that most of the electricity generated by the dam will go to the big industrial centers in the west of the country. They advocate developing alternative energy sources instead, such as wind and solar power, and promoting cultural and environmental tourism.
"The dam will bring only destruction for us," says Ercan Ayboga, a hydrologist at Bauhaus University in Germany and spokeman for the Initiative to Keep Hasankeyf Alive, which was formed in January 2006. "There will be no benefit for the people of the region." The project will displace tens of thousands of residents and threaten hundreds of species, including the rare striped hyena and the Euphrates soft-shelled turtle. Moreover, Ayboga says, "We will lose cultural heritage on the highest level, not just local heritage, but world heritage."
In late 2008, the European members of the Ilisu Dam consortium put a six-month freeze on financing because the project failed to meet World Bank standards for environmental and cultural protection—thereby temporarily halting construction. For its part, the Turkish government has proposed moving 12 of Hasankeyf's 300 monuments to a newly created cultural park about a mile north of the city. But the plan has not mollified protesters. "It is totally impractical and technically impossible," says Ayboga. Many of the monuments are made from ashlar masonry, he notes, which are uniform stone blocks carefully sculpted to fit together; they cannot simply be taken apart and reassembled. The monuments would lose some of their original details as some blocks break and crumble, and recreating the proper alignment is difficult. "And the dramatic siting, the rock caves, the aspect of the river, all will be lost."
Professor Ahunbay agrees: "It is impossible to transfer and 'save' Hasankeyf at the same time. Many of the features of the old city were brought to light by excavation, yet there is still more to be revealed. One-third of the visible traces are still covered by rubble and earth."
Ahunbay takes the long view. "When the very short useful life of the dam is set against the long history of Hasankeyf and its potential to live for eternity," she says, "one without doubt must chose the survival of Hasankeyf."
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Comments (14)
I really disappointed for burring in this magnificent piece of ancient art. Been as Civil engineer, this dam can be build far more away from Hesen kef. I jut was to understand why to built just with city itself. It to bury the treasure? And for what reason????? It so petty
Posted by Bewar bayer on December 2,2012 | 04:53 AM
I visited Hasenkeyf 1990. It is magical place so full of all our history, it is as unthinkable to cover this treasure with water as to clear stone henge from our landscape. I have very beautiful photo s from my time there. And climbed the minaret terrifying . The Tigris has brought life to this region for thousands of years it would awful to use to destroy this ancient settlement.
Posted by Glynis howat on November 9,2011 | 07:46 PM
Hello,
we have recorerede a song named "Salvate Hasankeyf" (Save Hasankeyf) and we have played the song a several time during our concerts.
We are at your disposal for any cooperations.
This is the link for the video of our song:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=COC3xmpu4qM
our website: www.milagroacustico.com
Best regards
Bob Salmieri
Posted by bob salmieri on July 14,2011 | 09:38 AM
I have never been to Hasankeyf, but it is the home of my boyfriend and his family...when we marry i want to go and visit and take in the culture and history of the area. You can not erase thousands of years of history or destroy peoples homes. I realise that employment is difficult to get, but there must be a better way to improve the elecrical supply to these areas without destroying its culture, its vast historical archaeology or its people. Save Hasankeyf should be made a worldwide site so people know what is happening there....and not only is it doing all this to an area... its doing it without compensation to its people, they will not get help from the turkish government to relocate.Shame on you!!! Get Hasankeyf on the map as a tourist attraction of great historical importance and let the money pour into the area and give people jobs...it will be much better then seeing all that disappear under water. I'm all for SAVE HASANKEYF.
Posted by Marta Sime on January 7,2011 | 07:14 PM
We visit Hassankeyf just two weeks ago, it is a beautiful ancient place what has build thousands years ago. It is a shame that it will be disappear!!!!!! I hope to visit it again before it is to late.
Posted by Wouter Voskuyl on October 12,2010 | 10:41 AM
I can not describe how disappointed i am with the turkish government over their decision to go ahead with the ilusu dam, as i am from hasankeyf im deeply hurt i love where i come from with all my heart and soul. our people just want to live their lives in hasankeyf they are not interested in moving to a big city or in an apartment builing many have lived in other countries or have lived in big cities but are not interested in city life, we want to live our lives in hasankeyf we love our life in hasankeyf we love our close community we love our lifestyle here full stop. our life history is written on those caves, our tears have dropped into tigris river we want our childrens children to see beautiful hasankeyf we want them to see where they come from, we want them to see their history with their own eyes, we want them to able comeback and cherish where they are from until the end of TIME we want ilusu dam STOPPED! we DONT want to go anywhere we want to STAY in BEAUTIFUL HASANKEYF!
Posted by elif e on June 1,2010 | 04:55 PM
I just cannot believe this. The destruction of this site is inconceivable and a nightmare! What can be done to change their mind?? Its amazing how governments think they 'know what is best' for the people and any cries out against it are just ignored as inconvenient. Is there any hope? Anything that can still be done?
Posted by Winter B on April 16,2010 | 07:20 AM
This is a major earthquake region, where these GAP project dams are, and to prove my point just look at the ruins of the once pristine ancient monuments on Nemrut Dagi.
At Belkis Hill-Zeugma where the Birecik Dam has been built on top of one the world's first coin mints, and where there was once a temple atop the hill and Roman artworks and an ancient cemetery and other buildings that have been flooded and are under water,the dam wall is unsafe. Most of the local people relocated further down the valley. Engineers at Birecik Dam have to constantly fix the walls of the dam because they get holes in them due to constant seismic activity. The company that runs this engineering at the Birecik Dam wall knows this is dangerous, but fails to inform people and the government.
I think that a geophysical assessment (done on a specific computer programme) would show just how dangerous this disgraceful obliteration of history is at the Belkis/Zeugma site.
I learned all this from a visit to the area and also visited Hasankeyf.
I think that proof of this risk would be a problem for the companies that intend to build the Ilusu Dam project - ask them for a risk assessment to prove the dam will be stable. The seismic risk isn't about showing the incalcuable value of ancient sites (which seem to have little value in Turkey) but about the risk of seismic activity that has been ignored by builders and government alike. This is a real risk for everyone living downstream of all dams in the GAP project area. These people are poor, have no defences against big corporate/government projects,and have been forcibly moved.
Please get help and have an accurate assessment made by a geophysist or seismic expert in Germany. Or ask the companies planning this work to prove the seismic safety of said Ilusu Dam proven.
I hope that you can use this information to assist your cause.
Please contact me if you need further information.
liz512000@yahoo.com
liz koegel
Posted by Liz Koegel on April 3,2010 | 02:37 PM
Hasankeyf is a timeless village cradled between civilizations of past and present. Yet, today it is a place running out of time. It's future lies on the drawing table of the engineering of the Ilisu Dam, which is part of Turkey's Southeastern Anatolia Project (GAP in Turkish initials) - a giant hydropower and irrigation scheme. GAP planners hope to revive the prosperity which Mesopotamia enjoyed thousands of years ago by harnessing the waters of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. Known as the cradle of civilization since 4500 B.C., the area encompassing the upper reaches of the two rivers will be sacrified for the operation of the Ilisu generating only 70 to 100 years of hydroelectric power before silt buildup settles in. Hasankeyf and its centuries-old history will disappear beneath the lake that will form behind the Ilisu. GAP reservoirs have so far displaced 100,000's of persons. Compensation has usually been tied to the property of land or houses. Since most land in South-east Anatolia is concentrated in the hands of large landowners, many landless families were not compensated at all. Instead they quietly moved to the slums of big cities such as Diyabakir or Istanbul. Olus Arik, a Professor of Archaeology and Art History at Ankara University in Turkey has been instrumental in the attempt to rescue Hasankeyf since 1985. I spoke with him in 1993 and he said, "We have no Venus statues, we have no Apollo statues. We have an architectural and urban texture there and a very interesting history of medieval technology to observe. It's very important but its not as nice as marble statues." In 1967, the Turkish government relocated inhabitants out of their original cave dwellings and settled them in housing in a town below. According to Arik, "Those so called 'modern' houses are really miserable, ghetto houses, which have no measurement against heat or cold," he said.
Posted by Sheryl A. Mendez on February 28,2010 | 09:59 PM
I first visited Hasankeyf in August 2002 mainly because I wanted to see this cultural gem before the threatened building of the dam. Soon after the main foreign contractor pulled out giving Hasankeyf a reprieve. But the Turkish Government seems hell bent on destroying this ancient town which has so much to interest the visitor. Its a pity the EU can't put pressure on the Turkish Government to abandon this unnecessary dam which will destroy a unique place. There are already many dams in this part of Turkey and the social, cultural and environmental cost of building the Ilisu dam far outweigh any economic benefits. Unfortunately, the world is run by short-sighted politicians and bureaucrats who care nothing for such wonderful places and the people who love them.
Posted by Michael Roarty on December 26,2009 | 11:39 AM
As a Turkish citizen I can not describe how sorry I am.
Although we have been doing everything in order to persuade the authorities not to build the beast, it seems that they will finish the construction. What can I say? Shame on us.
I love my country, but I think that this nonsense could be happen just in Turkey. They think that it will attract tourists.Ridicoulus...
Posted by BARIS on December 20,2009 | 12:27 PM
Like they did in Belkis (near Gaziantep) they now will destroy another Turkish treasure. This historic site called Hasankeyf should be preserved and is now a tourist attraction in its natural form. Why would the tourist want to come to a dam for water sports ? How ridiculous. And why would the local people want to be tossed out simply to give electricity to others in the surrounding area when clearly alternative energy (solar, wind and waves) are now more suitable. What a disaster for the civilised world if such an important heritage site with immense historical and cultural background can be destroyed for the supposed benefit of man to be employed and use water or electricity.
For Allah's sake, man would be better served if we preserve our heritage and make a tourist buck at the same time. The place is crying out for recognition but only a fool will not use his eyes to see the benefit of its existence whilst choosing to tear it down by drowning this treasure. Our future generations will be denied the benefit of seeing how Mesopotamia our first civilisation evolved.
Posted by cennet avsar on June 16,2009 | 09:45 PM
It's a beautiful place. I first went in November 2005 and fell in love with it so much I returned to make a film. You can see info about it at www.hasankeyffilm.com. I'm trying to get it shown on the film festival circuit now but am interested in any outlets that will raise awareness of the situation.
Posted by Sakae Ishikawa on April 14,2009 | 12:01 PM
Ever since reading this article on Hasankeyf I have gone mad researching this wonderful place. I have also been wondering why this city, which is an archaeological gold mine, is so relatively unknown. Books i have at home dont even mention its existence. This place is a wonderful place which should be saved. Spread the word! You guys have the power to make this place even more well known. From what i read, this places has a lot to offer on the history of are past. This also has led me to become interested in the culture of the Kurds, who inhabit this area. thank you for opening my eyes to this place i will soon visit before my college career is over.
Posted by Matt Costa on March 14,2009 | 08:00 PM