Historic Sites Damned: Turkey's Ancient Heritage
The Turkish government’s plans to flood two ancient towns with the reservoirs created by two dams are being fiercely resisted – but time is rapidly running out, as Pinar Sevinclidir reports.
Hasankeyf and Allianoi are two ancient cities situated in the east and west of Turkey, respectively. Both face the prospect of being submerged under water forever as they stand on the site of the planned reservoirs of two dam constructions. Yortanli dam, completed last November, will engulf Allianoi, a spa town established more than 2,000 years ago around natural hot springs. Hasankeyf, which has been inhabited for some 10,000 years, is to be submerged under the waters of the Ilusu dam.
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