Hasankeyf

Hasankeyf, on the banks of the Tigris in the south of Batman Province, is among the oldest continuously inhabited places on earth, with roots reaching back roughly twelve thousand years.

History

Known in the medieval world as Hisn Kayfa, the town hosted more than twenty civilizations, Roman, Byzantine, Artuqid, Ayyubid, Aq Qoyunlu and Ottoman among them, and became famous for its thousands of cave dwellings cut into limestone cliffs, a commanding citadel, and a monumental bridge over the river. The caves on the slopes rising toward the castle served as homes, churches, mosques, workshops, cisterns and storerooms, while the inner citadel, the so-called 'Upper City,' layers remains from Roman to Ottoman times.

Architecture & Monuments

Architecturally, the highlights include the 1409 Ayyubid El-Rizk Mosque with its cylindrical, colourfully inlaid minaret; the monumental piers of the Old Tigris Bridge, built in 1116 by the Artuqid Fahrettin Karaaslan and the largest in Anatolia of its day; and the 1473 Zeynel Bey Tomb, whose turquoise tilework is unique in Anatolia.

The Ilisu Dam and Conservation

Before the Ilisu Dam, which began filling in 2019 and submerged most of the historic core in 2020, eight monuments, including the Zeynel Bey Tomb, a Roman gate, an Artuqid bath and the El-Rizk minaret, were relocated about two kilometres away to the New Hasankeyf Cultural Park. Although the site was never inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, it was placed on the World Monuments Watch in 2008.

Visiting & Access

Today Hasankeyf is an essential half-day stop on GAP tours; agencies favour it because it slots easily into Mardin-Diyarbakir itineraries and offers a powerful story with a photogenic skyline. The standard route starts at Batman Museum, tours the relocated monuments in the Cultural Park, climbs to the castle and cave city, visits the El-Rizk Mosque, and ends with a boat trip on the Tigris and the Ilisu reservoir. The best photo spots are the castle plateau, the quayside and the opposite slopes, and a visit typically lasts three to five hours. Hasankeyf lies about 35-40 km from central Batman by paved road via the Midyat-Mardin direction. The New Hasankeyf Cultural Park and the quay area have large car parks and tour-bus access; the Cultural Park's level ground is partly suitable for disabled visitors, though the castle ramp is steep and uneven. The best time to visit is spring (April-May) and autumn (September-October); because summer middays are very hot, the peak season falls on spring and autumn weekends.