HASANKEYF WAITING TO BE UNDERWATER
The kilometers long (1900) km) The city of 11,500 years (8500 BC) medieval civilization with hundreds of mounds and more than 5,000 caves under the bank of the Tigris River: HASANKEYF
The names it took in history changed to Hesna de Kepha, Cephai Kastron Piskephas and Hısnı Keyfa over time.
Historically, respectively civilizations that dominate the city ;
Romans want to control the Iranian border by building a castle in the city. However, when the Persians captured Mesopotamia, the Roman Emperor Diocletoin at that time took the east of the Tigris River and all Mesopotamia.. Muslims defeating the Byzantines take control of the city. 17. The city, which was in the hands of the Islamic Army in the 16th century, came under the rule of the Umayyads, Abbasids, Hamdanis, Mervanis and most recently Artuqids.. After 130 years of Artuqid rule, the city came under the rule of Ayyubids, Akkyounlus, Iranian Safavids and most recently the Ottoman Empire. Most of the historical artifacts in Hasankeyf belong to Artukids and Umayyads.
Ancient, cultural heritage of 12.000 years with its bridge, castle, caves and many more features. Although the city should have already been included in the UNESCO Cultural Heritage list, it could not be included in the list because the government did not request it, and today it is abandoned to its fate.
“The Taj Mahal in India has 1 criteria, Angkor Wat in Cambodia has 2 criteria, the Pyramids in Egypt have 3 criteria, and the Great Wall of China in Beijing has 5 criteria, while our Hasankeyf is the first and only historical place that has 9 out of 10 UNESCO world heritage criteria.”
To be included in the UNESCO list, it is enough to meet one of the 6 cultural and 4 natural criteria.
1- Being a high-level representative of the creative genius of man,
2- In a cultural region of the world or witnessing an exchange of human values related to important developments in the fields of architecture or technology, monumental arts, urban planning or landscape design in a period,
3- A culture that is alive or disappearing To be an exceptional, rare representative of the tradition of mankind,
4- To be an exceptional example of a building type, architectural or technological whole, or landscape that represents an important stage or stages in human history ,
5- Human interaction with the environment, especially sensitized under the influence of irreversible change, or traditional human settlement, land use or sea use, which is representative of a culture(s) be an exceptional example,
6- Be directly or indirectly related to artistic or literary works, beliefs, ideas, living traditions and events of exceptional universal importance d of the criterion It accepts that it should be used together with other criteria.)
7- It includes areas with superior natural perspectives and unique natural beauties and aesthetic importance,
8- Exceptional examples representing important phases of earth’s history, including the record of life, significant ongoing geological processes in the formation of landforms, and important geomorphic or physiographic features,
9- Being exceptional examples presenting important ongoing ecological and biological processes in the evolution and development of terrestrial, freshwater, coastal and marine ecosystems and animal and plant communities,
10- Include the most important and conspicuous natural habitats for the in situ conservation of biodiversity, including those containing endangered species of exceptional universal value from the point of view of science or conservation. The list is quoted here.
Just as Allianoi ancient city Yortanlı Dam in İzmir Pergamon is under the Zeugma Ancient City Birecik Dam, unfortunately Hasankeyf will be under the Ilısu Dam.
Places to Visit in Hasankeyf
Hasankeyf Castle: It was built by the Byzantines for protection to keep the Iranian border under control.
The Small Castle: It was once used as a mint. The coins minted here by the Artuqids and Ayyubids are now exhibited in the Mardin museum.
Great Mosque: It is the first work of the Ayyubids, built by the Ayyubids on the church from the Assyrians inside the castle.
El Rızk Mosque: The inscription at the entrance of the portal is the inscription of Eyyubi Sultan Süleyman in 1409. written by. It is the only minaret that has survived from the mosque.
Not without telling the Legend of the Double Way Minaret
With its architecture in the city There was a famous architect and his apprentice. The apprentice expressed that he would make the minaret of the mosque in the city even more beautiful to his master.. When the master objected to this work, he consulted with the people of the city and started to make the minaret of one of the two mosques without a minaret in the city, the master and the apprentice of the other mosque (El Rızk Mosque).. When the master sees the apprentice finished the minaret at the top, he starts climbing the stairs of the minaret to kill the apprentice.. The apprentice goes down the other stairs while the master goes up.. When the master, who saw the apprentice downstairs, asked how he got down, he made the minaret in two ways, with a system where one could not see the person descending or the person ascending the minaret, so the master, instead of being proud, was very angry and succumbed to his pride and committed suicide by throwing himself from the top of the minaret.
Master’s unfinished minaret
According to local guides, the two storks on top of the minaret have never left here for 12 years.
The rock tombs and the church, 100 meters behind El Rzk Mosque, are also among the places to see if you wish.
Zeynel Bey Tomb : It belongs to Zeynel Bey, the son of Akkoyunlu ruler Uzun Hasan. The tomb is cylindrical from the outside and octagonal from the inside.. It is a magnificent work with the colors and architecture in the body decoration.. It is the work that has survived from the Akkoyunlu period.. It is possible to see a model of Zeynel Bey’s tomb, bath and complex in Istanbul Miniatürk.
Hasankeyf Bridge: The bridge of Artuqids, which left hundreds of years behind and only its feet remained today, 900 is annual. It is written in historical sources that the bridge was built in 1116 by Artuklu Fahrettin Karaaslan.. Today, a family lives from the first leg of the bridge, which is the largest stone bridge of the Middle Ages.. A family living in the most beautiful part of the ancient city thanks to their Ottoman title deeds! The most important feature of the bridge is the figures on the middle pillar, which are the symbols of the 12 signs. While the toilet wastes were poured into the Tigris, the importance of the sewage system built in the Artuqid period and the Seyahat J.. Barbaro said, “The arch of the bridge is so high and wide that a ship of 300 barrels can pass under it with all sails open.. Indeed, many times when I stood on the bridge and looked at the river, I was afraid of such height.. The city, where there is a magnificent work that he described as “The blind is extraordinary and remarkable”, is now waiting to be buried under water and we, the likes of us, cannot do anything.
Atatürk in vain ” HISTORY NATION THAT DOESN’T KNOW IS DEFINITELY DEFINITELY.”
Transportation
Because we stayed in Mardin, 106 We went to the ancient city, which is a kilometer away, by our guide Yusuf’s car. Transportation to the ancient city, which is 36 km from Batman, is quite easy.. For those arriving by plane, Batman is the closest airport, and for those arriving from Diyarbakır, it is 135 km away.
