Tigris Bridges, a photo from Batman, Southern East Anatolia

Photographer's Note

Earlier this year the 2 bridges seen here were completely submerged under the rising waters of the Ilisu Dam, along with most of the historic town of Hasankeyf. A pity, as it dates back 12,000 years. There is a coffer dam around the old Roman bridge pylons at left where archeologists were excavating and sifting gravel for anything they could find before the waters began to rise.

https://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/government-to-flood-12000-year-old-town-turning-it-into-artificial-lake/338450

And the Neolithic caves in yesterdays' upload taken 2014 looked like this in May 2019.

https://media.pri.org/s3fs-public/styles/w2304/public/images/2019/05/has_caves.jpg?itok=cxciTb-x

https://www.pri.org/stories/2019-05-22/11000-year-old-turkish-town-about-be-submerged-forever

ikeharel, pierrefonds, pajaran, jhm, PaulVDV, ktanska, macjake, mcmtanyel has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

Silvio1953 (220665) 2020-09-29 0:45

Ciao Chris, great view of fascinatingruines in a fantastic landscape, shame that now are submerged by water, excellent clarity, wonderful natural colors and splendid light, very well done, my friend, ciao Silvio

ikeharel (112475) 2020-09-29 0:47

Hello Chris,
Picture from high POV shows well the ruins of the old-bridge base towers, and raise a question why not preserved from early years.
Relative modern era town took over the place and shown here in fine, clear details.
Best regards,
Ike

holmertz (102042) 2020-09-29 1:21

Hello Chris,
A good photo but a sad view considering this will soon be completely destroyed.
Regards,
Gert

Miguel82 (47110) 2020-09-29 3:16

Chris, wonderful postcard taken from a vantage point. The river water creates some greenery in that arid land. Some vestiges of the past can be observed like the minaret. Fine colors, perfect sharpness, regards.

pierrefonds (113634) 2020-09-29 4:30

Bonjour Chris,

L'йtendue de l'endroit donne de la profondeur а la composition. La prise de vue permet de voir les dйtails de la colonne, du pont et des montagnes en arriиre-plan. La lumiиre met en valeur les couleurs de l'image. Bonne journйe.

Pierre

jhm (211734) 2020-09-29 6:37

Hello Chris,

A panorama picture with a view about this part of the city.
We get a lovely view about the ruins of the old bridge.
Sharpness and clarity are perfect.
Very well done, TFS.

Best regards,
John.

lousat (138655) 2020-09-29 9:36

Hi Chris,so what you are showing us is a world that no longer exists and is now submerged by waters. Really a shame, but if it serves to create clean energy and help agriculture, it is also a sign of the times. A souvenir photo of great significance and truly perfect. Have a nice evening and thanks,Luciano

PaulVDV (62804) 2020-09-29 11:00

Hello Chris,
It remains a difficult discussion about what is important for the economic development of a region and the preservation of the cultural historical heritage.
I'm very sorry about the loss of the latter.
But I also don't know what the best solution would have been.
Would modern-day Turkey have judged differently if they were ancient Islamic monuments that were submerged?
Splendid overview photo taken from a good elevated point.
Best regards, Paul

ktanska (44492) 2020-09-29 11:25

Hi Chris,
A photo with lots to see. Ancient ruins next to this famous river. Dry desert like landscape with green patches near the river. And polarized blue sky above everything.
Kari

Tue (91612) 2020-09-29 11:46

Hello Chris,
What a shame to learn that this area is now completely flooded. You show it from a great vantage point, which clearly shows the two bridges, an ancient and a modern one. The background looks great too with those mountains and the sunlight was wonderful and clear.
Lars

Royaldevon (85638) 2020-09-30 1:42

Hello Chris,

It is such a pity when modern developments consume the history of an ancient place. The link you sent to the new water level, with the caves almost level with the water, really makes us understand what has happened.
This will be a most interesting, documentary photograph, now!

The new rail link from London to Birmingham is being planned now and a huge archeological dig has been underway, excavating an ancient cemetery, removing the skeletons and recording them all, ready for reburial. The site has been given a waterproof roof so that finds are not ruined and to prevent rain stopping excavations.

Have a good day,
Bev :-)

mkamionka (73440) 2020-09-30 2:34

Hi Chris,
it is so hard to imagine the city being submerged now, but it is happening here and there. I remember the very famous case with Nile Aswan Dam in Egypt, we had similar situation in Poland with the dam on river Dunajec.
This thought makes the photo even more valuable and interesting.
Excellent work,
M

vjmite (6514) 2020-10-01 0:44

Hi Chris,

A good photo capturing the old ruined bridge and the new one, and the minaret in the centre. We get an idea of the dry countryside here too. A pity the town and ruins will be flooded, but progress is usually a two-edged sword, bringing in the new and crushing the old.

Vince

macjake (98262) 2020-10-14 3:37

Hi Chris
wow, this place almost doesn't look real! It looks almost like a toy train set on a table top or something :) am i blind? you say 2 bridges? I can only see one. what am i missing? and both were under water???? that is SO much water. what an interesting place, because far off into the bg its so bare, so much land to be developed if they chose to. great view from here. cheers
Craig

mcmtanyel (67709) 2021-03-06 10:19

Hello Chris,
Thanks for the memories of this place. We might take comfort in the possibility that the water will preserve the remains and in a 100 years or so, when the dam in no longer effective, archeologists can dig it all up.
Regards,
MT