FightING ILISU DAM  - SAVE HASANKEYF AND TIGRIS VALLEY

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Zaman: Archaeological digs in Hasankeyf kick off (23.05.2007)

Archaeological digs in Hasankeyf kick off

This year's archaeological excavations in the ancient city of Hasankeyf, one of the richest archaeological sites in Turkey and under the threat of being submerged due to a major infrastructure project, will begin today.

The history of the ancient site, located on the banks of the Tigris River in the southeastern Anatolian province of Batman, dates as far back as 10,000 years.

Batman Provincial Culture Director Selahattin Ortaboy told the Anatolia news agency that the excavations, which have been continuing since 1985, would be held under the supervision of Professor Abdüsselam Uluçam from the art history department of Konya's Selçuk University. A 95-member team that includes 14 academics will take part in the excavations, he said. A total of YTL 1.5 million was allotted to this year's program by the Southeastern Anatolia Project (GAP) Regional Development Directorate, he added.

Located 37 kilometers from Batman's city center, Hasankeyf is under the threat of being lost to the waters of the Ilısu Dam, a cornerstone of GAP. The ancient city was declared a conservation area for its rich archaeological heritage in 1981. The region has served as home to nine civilizations throughout its history, including the Romans, Arabs and Mongolians.

23.05.2007

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