Hasankeyf
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Hasankeyf (Greek: Kiphas; Latin: Cepha; Aramaic and Arabic: Hisn Kayfa; Syriac: Heskîf; Kurdish: Hesenkeyf) is a city located along the Tigris River in the Batman Province of southeastern Anatolia, Turkey, in modern times it is densely inhabited by Kurds. It is an ancient city, with roots going back 10,000 years. It was declared a natural conservation area by Turkey in 1981.[1] The Kurdish people form the majority in this city.[2]
The Romans had built a fortress on the site and the city became a bishopric under the Byzantine Empire. It was conquered by the Arabs, in ca. 640, who built a bridge over the Tigris river. The city was successively ruled by the Artukids and Ayyubids. The city was captured and sacked by the Mongols in 1260. Following the Ottoman ascendancy established by Selim I in the region in the early 16th century, the city became part of the Ottoman Empire during Sultan Süleyman I's campaign of Irakeyn (the two Iraqs, e.g. Arabian and Persian) in 1534, at the same time as Diyarbakır, Mosul, Baghdad and Basra.
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[edit] Ilısu Dam Impact
With its history that spans nine civilizations, the archaeological and religious significance of Hasankeyf is considerable. Some of the city's historical treasures will be inundated if construction of the Ilısu Dam — is completed.[3] These include ornate mosques, Islamic tombs and cave churches.
According to the Bugday Association, based in Turkey, Ms. Huriye Küpeli, the prefect of Hasankeyf, the Swiss ambassador to Turkey and representatives of the Swiss led consortium of contractors for the dam project have suggested what they believe to be a suitable nearby spot for moving the historical heritage of Hasankeyf, an operation for which the Turkish Ministry of Culture pledges to provide 30 million euros.[4]
The threat of the Ilisu Dam project prompted the World Monuments Fund to list the city on its 2008 Watch List of the 100 Most Endangered Sites in the world. It is hoped that this listing will create more awareness of the project and prompt the Ilisu Consortium to develop alternate plans that are more sympathetic to this site of exceptional historical and cultural significance.
[edit] References
- Blue Guide, Turkey, (ISBN 0-393-32137-1), p. 590.
[edit] Notes
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Turkish Ministry of Culture
- Hasankeyf, a City Doomed to Disappear...
- Extensive picture series
- photos of Hasankeyf
- "Deep divide", 23 March 2008 Financial Times article on the damming of the Tigris River
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