Hasankeyf  Batman, 2010 - 2017

Although it is not known exactly when Hasankeyf was founded, its history dates back to ancient times. During the studies carried out in Hasankeyf mound, archaeological finds were found from 3,500 to 12,000 years ago. The settlement had strategic importance since it was established on the road from Upper Mesopotamia to Anatolia and on the banks of the Tigris River. It changed hands between the Byzantines and the Sassanids as a border settlement in the 2nd and 3rd centuries AD. Roman Emperor II, who captured Diyarbakir and its surroundings. Constantius had two border castles built to protect the region from Sassanids. Built-in 363 AD, the castle remained under Roman and Byzantine rule for a long time. After the spread of Christianity in the region from the 4th century onwards, the settlement became the center of the Syriac bishopric. It was conquered by the Arabs, in 640, renamed Hisn Kayf. In the 12th century, the city was successively captured by the Artukids as their capital. During this period, Hasankeyf's golden age, the Artukids and Ayyubids built the Old Tigris Bridge, the Small Palace and the Great Palace. The infrastructure, location and significance of the city helped increase trade and made Hasankeyf a staging post on the Silk Road. The Ayyubids (descendants of Saladin) captured the city in 1232 and built the mosques that made Hasankeyf an important Islamic center. The city was captured and sacked by the Mongols in 1260. The city would rise from its ashes though as summer homes for Ak Koyunlu emirs were built. Following the Ottoman ascendancy established by Selim I in the region in the early 16th century, the city became part of the Ottoman Empire in 1515. The city lost its importance as a result of the change in the main trade routes since the 17th century and the pause in the trade as a result of the Ottoman-Iranian wars. The settlement, which was connected to Mardin Midyat after 1867, was connected to this city when Batman became a province in 1990.
When it was decided to build the Ilisu Dam, a new settlement was established at a distance of 3 km, since the historical settlement will be underwater. In the meantime, large-scale structures such as Artuklu Bath, Sultan Suleyman Koc Mosque, Imam Abdullah Zaviye, Er-Rizik Mosque and minaret, Zeynel Abidin Tomb, Eyyubi Mosque, and the middle gate of the castle, as well as historical buildings such as the tomb and lodge in the historical settlement, the Tigris River moved to the Cultural Park established on the coast. With the flooding of the Ilisu Dam in November 2019, it started to be flooded in February 2020. Yukarikale, which was taken under protection, was protected from being submerged and damaged as a result of the works. (Source: en.wikipedia.org)

The campaigns that started in 2010 and organized to prevent Hasankeyf from being flooded did not bring any results. I participated in the "Save Hasankeyf" campaign organized in 2010 and photographed the historical places that can be reached with the campaign. During my travels at different times, I photographed historical places that were closed to the public with the permission of the city culture directorate. In 2017, I had the opportunity to photograph a person who still lives in one of the cave houses. All of them are now history.