From September 10th to 13th I visited Hasankeyf in Turkey and the Tigris for the very last time. I said my goodbyes to residents, the river, the landscape. One of the most significant regions of humanity will be submerged, in the reservoir of the Ilisu dam. Even today, two weeks later, I can barely bring myself to put this into writing. It is literally incomprehensible.
In solidarity with the two antique cities Hasankeyf and Sur, which are both destined for destruction by the Turkish government, actions in 30 cities around the world have been organized to draw attention to repressive and exploitative policies. Hasankeyf is to be drowned in the reservoir of the almost finished Ilisu dam project. Ilisu is opposed by the overwhelming majority of the public. Read this press release...
After decades of construction, the Ilisu dam is almost completed, Hasankeyf is nearing its inundation. Residents of this ancient settlement who are ineligible for relocation have nowhere to go. Merchants of the ancient Silk Road trading post have received eviction notices. Read more in this DW article
It is a critical moment for Hasankeyf, with the merchants in something of a standoff with the authorities. In preperation of Hasankeyf's inundation for the Ilisu reservoir, the government has threatened forced eviction as early as within next 7 days. For more details read the text by Hasankeyf Matters
The Initiative to Keep Hasankeyf Alive presents a new documentary about the Ilisu Dam Projec. If completed the destructive Ilisu Dam would flood the 12,000 years old town Hasankeyf and a large part of the Tigris River. This 20-min documentary features affected residents speaking about the region’s heritage and what the planned destruction would mean for culture, ten thousands of people and nature.
Read the most recent update of the Initaitive to Keep Hasankeyf Alive: Environmental and heritage destruction have accelerated in Turkey’s historic city of Hasankeyf as crews work day and night, seven days a week to collapse vulnerable portions of the cliffs ringing the town and fill in some 200 caves.
The Initiative to Keep Hasankeyf Alive has called for the 2nd Global Hasankeyf Action Day on Sep. 23, 2017. On the day in many countries people will do different actions in order to protest the destructive Ilisu Dam which threatens to flood the 12.000 years old town Hasankeyf and 136 km long the Tigris River in the Kurdistan Region of Turkey.
After the relocation of the historic Zeynel Bey Tomb monument, the destruction of 12,000 year old city of Hasankeyf reaches a new level: the demolition through explosives of human formed rocks has recently started. Read the press release by the Initiative to Keep Hasankeyf Alive.
The leading heritage organisation in Europe Europa Nostra is very concerned about the recent developments in the historic city of Hasankeyf. Read their press release.
After the historic ‘Zeynel Bey Tomb’ monument in Hasankeyf has been relocated to make way for the Ilisu reservoir, several organisations call upon the Dutch company Bresser to withdraw from the relocation of 9 further monuments. They will hold a protest at the headquarters of Bresser on June 28. in the Netherlands.
