The picture below can’t be seen any more because as Ilısu dam is collecting water, this ancient site is under the dam lake. This ancient site is as old as Göbeklitepe and we can come across settlement fields from 10.000 years ago. Also Roman, East Roman, Seljuk Empire and Ottoman Empire eras left traces here. All of the historical eras have a great heritage here. But everything has changed with the construction of Ilısu Dam.
Water is the most valuable substance in the region due to the climate. Agricultural activity needs more water and due to the climate more electricity power is required. That’s why a project named GAP (South Eastern Project) was planned around three decades ago. It is formed by a dam chain. Ilısu dam is one of the dam chains. The most important impact of the dams is to destroy the ancient sites and residental sites of the region. Hasankeyf is one of the victims of those dams.
Turkish Republic Government decided to prepare a new project for new Hasankeyf. Government built new houses and social facilities. Some ancient buildings were removed to new sites in order to be exhibited. According to some datas, there can be some negative effects to Hasankeyf history.
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