Emin Özmen Young men stand next to caves, newly discovered on the construction site. They're destined to be submerged in water in a few months. The city, whose first settlements date back 12,000 years, has an (...)
exceptional archaeological heritage: Assyrian, Roman and Ottoman monuments, thousand-year-old troglodyte houses, remains of a stone bridge and a 12th century mosque are part of it. Hasankeyf is however condemned to disappear under the water due to the construction of the Ilisu dam on the Tigris River. It will be the second largest dam in the country, is at stake. Started in 2006, the project would bring "the greatest benefit" to the people as the current President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, then Prime Minister, promised. A total of 70,000 people will be displaced and dozens of villages condemned to disappear. Hasankeyf, Turkey, 2018. © Emin Özmen | Magnum Photos
Emin Özmen A platform above the Tigris river in Hasankeyf where tourists have lunch and drink tea to keep cool in summer. With the construction of the Ilisu Dam on the Tigris River, over 50 villages and sever (...)
al small towns, including Hasankeyf and its historical surroundings, are likely to be flooded in the near future. Hasankeyf, Batman Province. Turkey. 2009. © Emin Özmen | Magnum Photos
Emin Özmen Children play in the water, on the roof of a partially sunken mosque in Savasan. The village (only accessible by boat) attracts all the attention. More than 200,000 visitors come every year to admi (...)
re a minaret visible above the water. The rest of the city disappeared after Birecik dam's construction. Turkey. Halfeti, 2018. © Emin Özmen | Magnum Photos
Carolyn Drake In his tailor shop, a man displays a drawing of Hasankeyf made by his uncle. With the construction of the Ilisu Dam on the Tigris River, over 50 villages and several small towns, including Hasankey (...)
f and its historical surroundings, are likely to be flooded in the near future. Hasankeyf, Batman Province. 2009. © Carolyn Drake | Magnum Photos