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Hasankeyf attractions
Hasankeyf attractions
Hasankeyf is rich in history throughout the ages. The main archaeological highlight of Hasankeyf is the citadel on the very top of the town, overlooking the river. Considering how extensive these ruins are, an entire day (or two) could easily be spent exploring.
The grand days of Hasankeyf are long gone, so most sights are in a state of disrepair, or even partially ruined (which is made worse as the much needed funds for renovation are blocked due to the dam project), although all are intact—and beautiful—enough as to allow you to imagine what they were like back in the day.
Old bridge. Built in 1116 by Artuqid ruler Fahrettin Karaaslan as a replacement of an older bridge, the bridge spanning the Tigris River is considered to be the largest from the Medieval Period. Passageway of the bridge was made of wood so that it could be removed in case of an attack, and as a result, only two piers and some foundation work are all that exist of the bridge today. The funny thing about the bridge is, the intact watchtower of the bridge on the opposite bank now serves as a room of an adjacent house built later, complete with a small wooden door on what was the main gate, opening to part of the passageway, which in turn serves as the balcony!
Citadel (signposted Kale at the main highway through the town). This structure sits 100m above the Tigris River, overlooking Hasankeyf, with impressive views over the old town and the river. The citadel has likely been used as a dwelling place for centuries. Admission 3 TL pp.
Small Palace. This palace was built by the Ayyubids and overlooks Hasankeyf as it sits on a cliff.
Ulu Mosque (Ulu Camii, literally "Great Mosque"). Built by the Ayyubids in 1325, on the top of a church's remains.
Great Palace. The palace was built by the Artuqids and has an associated rectangular tower that may have been a watchtower.
El Rizk Mosque. The Mosque was built in 1409 by the Ayyubid Sultan Süleyman and stands on the bank of the Tigris River. The mosque also has a minaret that has remained intact.
Süleyman Mosque. This mosque was built by Sultan Süleyman and is all but destroyed except for a minaret. Süleyman's grave is missing from the site as well.
Koc Mosque. The mosque is located east of the Süleyman Mosque and was likely built by the Ayyubids.
Kizlar Mosque. Located east of the Koc Mosque, the Kizlar Mosque was also likely from the Ayyubid period as well. The section of the structure which is used as a mosque today was a mausoleum in the past, containing grave remnants.
Imam Abdullah Tomb. The tomb lies west of the new bridge in Hasankeyf and it the tomb of Imam Abdullah. Abdullah was the grandson of Jafar at-Tayyar, uncle of the prophet Mohammad. An epitaph on the tomb states that the tomb was restored in the Ayyubid period.
Zeynel Bey Mausoleum. Named after Zeynel Bey, this mausoleum is on the less-built opposite (northern) banks of the river (and as such easily distinguishable from the surroundings), with its outside covered with charming blue mosaics of geometrical designs and calligraphy, although somewhat worn out. Bey was the son of Uzun Hassan, the ruler of the Akkoyunlu Dynasty which ruled over Hasankeyf in the 15th century.
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Hasankeyf Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.