Seat of Our Pants

I’d heard about the existence of Hasankeyf before. I’d told myself that it was one of those places we’d just have to miss because there’s so much else to see in Turkey. Thankfully, we listened to advice from a nice Canadian family we encountered and spent a few days there. We loved it.

There are a few things that make Hasankeyf special. Its setting on the Tigris river, for one. Or the limestone caves, inhabited just 30 years ago, that line the cliff walls around it. The Kale, or citadel, is also a very cool sight in its own right. Toss in a minaret with a stork nest on top, a ruined bridge, some Byzantine ruins and an Ayyubid cemetery, and you’re beginning to get the idea. It’s a wonderland for anyone with an interest in history, and if you’re not into that, well, the place is also just incredibly scenic.

There is one more thing that makes Hasankeyf special, and that is the fact that it will be underwater in just five years. A dam is being built across the Tigris, and once that is completed the water levels will rise halfway up this minaret.

Visiting Hasankeyf is a heartbreak. The people are very friendly, approachable and generally pleasant. Still, I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say that there is a certain air of sadness about them. Nothing strange about that, really. The town where they and their ancestors have lived for about 2,000 years is about to become accessible only with scuba gear.

Online, I found these guys, an organization that’s trying to save Hasankeyf. I can’t help but think that there must be something more that can be done. Any ideas?

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