Thousands of years of history will be submerged in Amed

After flooding the 12,000-year-old ancient city Hasankeyf with the highly controversial Ilisu dam project, the Turkish state insists on damaging cultural heritage in North Kurdistan.

The Amar dam, which is soon to be built on the Ambar Stream on the Tigris basin, 10 kilometers from Amed city center, will flood the history and culture just like the 12,000-year-old ancient city Hasankeyf disappeared under water.

Historical Gire Fılla settlement dating back to the pre-ceramics Neolithic age, Kendalê Hecala and Ambar hill town will be submerged by water because of the dam to be built by the Directorate General for State Hydraulic Works.

Large historical buildings made of thick stone walls, which were used as a central settlement in the Middle Ages, historical buildings used as seasonal settlements in Kendalê Hecala and historical areas used as cemeteries in Gre Fılla will be flooded as a result of dam reservoir works.

In the excavations carried out periodically since 2018 in the region, some artifacts, the oldest of which dates back to 7 thousand BC, were found.

The historical artifacts unearthed during excavations in the area that will be flooded by the dam are brought together in an excavation house established in the region.