11,500-year-old settlement unearthed in Hasankeyf

A settlement from 11,500 years ago has been unearthed in the Hasankeyf Mound on the Tigris River’s coastline in the fifth stage of archaeology works at the ancient town of Hasankeyf in the southeastern province of Batman, which has been initiated with the Ilısu Dam HES project protection and rescue works of the cultural heritage. 

The head of the excavations in Hasankeyf, Assistant Professor Mevlüt Eliüşük, said 12 Japanese archaeologists are also working in the mound. “Excavations continued in the settlement in the first three months and then the conservation of findings was made. Analyses revealed that the settlement in Hasankeyf Mound dates back to 9,500 B.C., which is 11,500 years ago,” he added.  

http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/11500-year-old-settlement-unearthed-in-hasankeyf-.aspx?pageID=238&nID=118364&NewsCatID=375

550-year-old shrine moved before being inundated in Turkey’s Hasankeyf

A 550-year-old historic shrine in Hasankeyf has been moved before the area is flooded by the Ilısu Dam in the southeastern province of Batman, Doğan News Agency has reported.

The Zeynel Bey Shrine was moved from its original location to the Hasankeyf New Cultural Park Area. 

The massive shrine, which is a symbol of Batman’s Hasankeyf district, was moved in a single piece thanks to a newly produced rail system and the laying down of a special asphalt. At least 50 people, including engineers, were on duty to aid in the moving process. 

The moving process started at 7:45 a.m. and ended at 11:35 a.m. on May 12 when the shrine was installed in its new location two kilometers away.

All the procedures for the shrine are expected to take a total of three days.

Police and gendarmerie forces took security measures during the moving process, flying drones in the area.
 The gendarmerie also used detectors and specially trained dogs to search for any possible bombs.  

The preparations for the moving of the historical shrine took two years and necessitated the creation of a special platform with at least 150 wheels. Concrete measuring a depth of one meter was poured below the shrine before it was transferred to a platform with its concrete base by hydraulic cranes.   

Speaking during the process of moving the historic shrine, Turkish Forestry and Water Affairs Minister Veysel Eroğlu said they would move eight other artifacts.

“The shrine will be located before Friday prayers. On Monday, the final touches will be made. Europe was against this dam. But we will move eight other artifacts. This will set a model for the world,” he said.  

The dam project is controversial because it will inundate areas of southeastern Turkey, destroying priceless archaeological heritage.

Meanwhile, Vahap Kusen, the mayor of Hasankeyf, said he was experiencing joy and sadness at the same time. 

“The moving of this historic shrine which will be submerged makes us happy. But we see it as a flower that was broken off from its twig because other artifacts will be submerged by dam water. I wish all artifacts could be moved. On the other hand, we get a chance to show off an artifact which remains from our ancestors to the next generations,” he said.

The Zeynel Bey Shrine is the only work left by the Aq Qoyunlu tribal federation left in Hasankeyf. It is believed that Zeynel Bey was the son of Uzun Hasan, the ruler of the Aq Qoyunlu, but that he lost his life in the Battle of Otlukbaşı (1473), which took place between the Aq Qoyunlu and the Ottomans.

To look at the video: http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/550-year-old-shrine-moved-before-being-inundated-in-turkeys-hasankeyf.aspx?pageID=238&nID=113024&NewsCatID=375

‘New Hasankeyf’s’ museum ready to open

AA photo

The construction of a museum and an amphitheater has been finished at a new settlement established for Hasankeyf, which is to be flooded by the Ilısu Dam, a project that NGOs fear will displace thousands and obscure Hasankeyf’s unique ancient history.

The new settlement, which has been set up to save a few of Hasankeyf’s historical sites from flooding, is located on the outskirts of the Batı Raman Mountains, north of Hasankeyf’s current location where projects undertaken by the General Directorate of State Hydraulic Works (DSI) and Cultural and Natural Heritage Preservation Board are finally coming to fruition. 

In the projects’ scope, a three-floor Hasankeyf Museum with 2,500 square-meters of closed area and 5,000 square-meters of open area and an amphitheater have been built in the field named Cultural Park. The artifacts that shed light on Hasankeyf’s history will be displayed at the museum. 

Meanwhile, the construction of a pedestrian bridge connecting moved historical sites is in its final phase. West of this bridge will be the İmam Abdullah Tomb, a historic bath and Zeynel Bey Tomb, while east of the bridge will be the El Rizk, Koç, Sultan Süleyman and Kızlar mosques and the castle’s gate. 

Hasankeyf district governor Bülent Baygüven said their goal was to “fill the gaps at Hasankeyf” and turn the new settlement into a modern tourism center without damaging Hasankeyf’s historical foundation. 

While the settlement’s government building and district police department were currently up and running, Baygüven said, “some public housing is still under construction.” Though students are still attending Hasankeyf’s middle school, a new high school has been set up at the new settlement, according to Baygüven.

He continued: “The hospital will be finished very soon. The Cultural Park, District Gendarmerie Command, District Food, Agriculture and Livestock buildings are under construction, too. When the citizens arrive here, houses will be built and this [new settlement] will be a complete district.”

Hasankeyf and the Ilısu Dam
The ancient, 12,000-year-old town of Hasankeyf is located on the banks of the Tigris River in southeastern Turkey, featuring Neolithic caves, Roman ruins and medieval monuments. 

Eighty percent of Hasankeyf will be flooded due to the controversial Ilısu Dam, which has been the subject of controversy since 2006 when its first foundational stone was placed. Due to the highly impactful nature of the dam, European creditors pulled their investment support for the dam in 2008, postponing its construction for 2 years.

Set to become Turkey’s fourth hydroelectric power plant if completed, the dam is part of the Southeastern Anatolia Project (GAP), which aims to create sustainable development for people living in Turkey’s southeast through the construction of dams and hydroelectric plants. 

Europa Nostra, a European heritage organization, and the European Investment Bank Institute announced on Dec. 10 that Hasankeyf and its surroundings were among the heritage sites shortlisted on its “The Seven Most Endangered” program for 2016.