Drop in dam water levels reveals ancient village

DİYARBAKIR – Anadolu Agency

An ancient village in southeastern Turkey was revealed on Dec. 19 when the gate of a dam broke, leading to a drop in water level. 

The gate of Dicle Dam in the Diyarbakır province was opened on Dec. 13 to drain excess rainwater that had filled in. Workers were unable to shut it after it broke. 

The water level decreased by around 10 meters and revealed the remains of Çarıkören neighborhood, including the tomb of Elisha (Elyesa), one of the 25 prophets mentioned in the Quran. 

The remains of houses, a mosque and seminary and graveyards were found. 

Former residents of the neighborhood saw their old houses and visited the graves of their relatives. 

Abdurrahman Kılıç, 53, said when he was a child they had to move to the city center after water levels of the dam had increased. 

Stating that there were 78 houses in the village then, he said all the residents were relatives. 

“At that time, we made a living from the vegetable and fruit gardens on the banks of the Dicle River,” Kılıç said. 

He added that the village had remained submerged for 20 years and water level had dropped this low for the first time. 

“Not only I but my whole family came to see the houses,” he said. 

“We got so happy when we saw our village. The whole village has not emerged yet; had the water been drawn out another six meters you would be able to see all of it.” 

Mehmet İnci, 36, said the tomb of Elisha was in the village before it was transferred to another place in Diyarbakır in 1995. 

İnci also invited people to visit the area to see the historical structures.