- HASANKEYF WAITNIG LIFE -  25 MIN. VERSION

VOICE OVER ENGLISH

TCI 00:03:04:13

TCO 00:03:40:15

Hasankeyf is an ancient village on the banks of the Tigris River in the Assyrian and Byzantine Mesopotamia, where the cultures of Central Asia and Persia crossed with those of Europe. Five thousand people live here, mostly of Kurdish origin: a community that lives suspended in time from when, in 1954, the Ilisu Dam Project was born. The dam, once completed, will submerge Hasankeyf and the whole valley. A whole community lives without any reliable information, pervaded by an exhausting indecision about what will become of their future.

TCI 00:03:48:03

TCO 00:04:11:19

Mehmet is the owner of one of the few restaurants in Hasankeyf. Most of its inhabitants are small traders and civil servants. Farmers and shepherds live just outside the village making a meagre living for their families. The people of Hasankeyf have limited options, yet they live a decent life.

TCI 00:05:20:08

TCO 00:05:39:22

Despite a long time passing, the intense atmosphere of this place keeps Mehmet’s memories alive. Since 1966, the Turkish government have offered incentives to build houses in the valley and the inhabitants have slowly abandoned the caves. Hasankef now lives in the shadow of the ancient castle.

TCI 00:06:28:23

TCO 00:07:08:08

Since then life in Hasankeyf has continued on the presumption that the dam would never be built. In 1998, some European credit institutions confirmed their interest in investing in the Ilisu dam. This has accelerated the process of building the infrastructure but also increased the feeling of confusion and uncertainty amongst the population.

Every evening at sunset on the river bank women wait patiently for the sheep to return from the pasture for the daily ritual of milking. A meeting which concludes the day of work with women’s chattering and children's games.

TCI 00:10:04:04

TCO 00:10:58:01

Hasankeyf is a very ancient city, with settlements dating back to the Neolithic period and subsequently inhabited by Persians and Urartu. The Romans built one of the main fortress’s of the region here, in an anti-Persian move. With the fall of the Byzantine Empire, Hasankeyf was conquered by the Arabs and in the XII century fell under the control of Artuqidi who established their capital here. The location of the town contributed to this becoming a stop on the Silk Road during the Middle Ages, and then a crossroads for the entire area. In the thirteenth century under the domination of the Ayyubids, the descendants of Saladin, Hasankeyf also became an important religious center.

A few years ago, Professor Abdusselam ULUCAM began an archaeological excavation here.

TCI 00:12:31:20

TCO 00:13:04:04

Despite the terrible predictions, the mayor of Hasankeyf, Abdulvahap Kusen, has been fighting against the construction of the Ilisu dam for years, creating solidarity networks throughout Turkey. With the dam construction, water will submerge the country and many farmlands. Their owners will receive compensation, which will probably enable them to start a life elsewhere. But those who live in the village have no land, only a house that is worth less than $ 10,000. For them, the construction of the dam means a serious loss. Even if they receive government compensation, they will not have enough money to start over elsewhere.

TCI 00:16:26:07

TCO 00:16:56:18

A new Hasankeyf will rise above the water level of the artificial lake produced by the dam. But there is a risk that many of those who live in Hasankeyf today cannot afford to buy a new house, which will probably cost more than the compensation they receive. Also most people will lose the land and animals that are the real source of their income. Hasankeyf is likely to become a ghost town without a history or a population.

TCI 00:19:32:06

TCO 00:20:03:21

It is difficult to fully understand the disorientation of the population if you don’t consider that till a few years ago this area was the setting of a confrontation between Kurds guerrillas and the Turkish army, which also brutally involved the civilian population: today the conflict, which has a long and painful history behind it, seems over. In truth,  not far from here, daily violent clashes persist between the parties. Any possibility of peaceful resolution seems unattainable.

Today the efforts of history are felt in the minds of the people of this territory. People that hope for a better future whilst having to reckon with the prospect of a painful future.

TCI 00:21:01:15

TCO 00:21:25:04

Tourism could be a great resource for Hasankeyf: This is one of the most beautiful places in the region. But the investment in accommodation facilities and services needed to transform tourism into a real asset for the town has never been made: the threat of flooding lasting since 1954 have prevented any kind of projects for the development of this territory.

TCI 00:23:22:04

TCO 00:23:56:14

In 2006, yards for the dam reopened, but only preparatory works are in progress. The dam construction has not yet begun, because some European partners withdrew from the project, believing that the impact of the work on the territory involved is excessive. For the Turkish government, however, the work is of strategic interest. Signs suggest that Ankara could still bring forward the project even without the support from abroad. And so Hasankeyf keeps on living its waiting life while its inhabitants remain suspended in time.