Hasankeyf Museum in Turkey to feature ancient artifacts

By Selman Tur

BATMAN, Turkey

Some of the most compelling treasures from the early ages of civilization will soon be open to tourists at Hasankeyf Museum in southeastern Turkey’s Batman province.

The museum, located in Batman's Hasankeyf town, includes historical artifacts that were excavated by archaeological teams as part of the Ilisu Dam -- part of the Southeastern Anatolia, or GAP Project.

Built on 60,000 square meters, the museum will display artifacts dating back to the paleolithic, neolithic, chalcolithic, bronze, iron and medieval eras at the exhibitions.

While the objects will be displayed in chronological order, visual animations related to the periods they belong to will give visitors the feeling of “living in the period” they are walking through.

Wax sculptures will also attract visitors by demonstrating the lifestyles of people living thousands of years ago on the Tigris River.

Speaking to Anadolu Agency, Faruk Bulent Bayguven, district governor of Hasankeyf, said that the museum will shed light on the history of the region.

Bayguven said that the museum will also display historical artifacts from different provinces of the region -- including Batman, Mardin, Siirt, Sirnak and Diyarbakir.

"When the artifacts start to be exhibited, our museum will be flooded by visitors. The museum will make a great contribution to the tourism of Hasankeyf. The artifacts in this museum will bring visitors from all over the world,” he said.

Bayguven said that the two-storey museum will be opened soon, without giving an exact inauguration day.

Hasankeyf, 32 kilometers (20 miles) southeast of the provincial capital Batman, was declared a conservation area in 1981.

There are nearly 6,000 caves around the town that contain the remnants of Christian and Muslim worship, as well as a Byzantine fortress.