Remains of 15th-century mosque come to light due to drawdown

SİVAS – Demirören News Agency

The remains of a historical settlement came to light due to a sudden drawdown in the Kılıçkaya Dam, located in the district of Suşehri in the Central Anatolian province of Sivas.

Among the remains, there is a mosque said to be built by the Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II, popularly known as Mehmed the Conqueror, after returning from the Battle of Otlukbeli in 1473.

Near the mosque, the remains of a village school, sepulchral monuments and a wooden bridge belonging to unknown eras have been found.

“When the dam was built in 1989, many structures were submerged. The dam is filled with water in spring and the water level decreases in summer,” said 65-year-old villager, Halil Aksoy.

The people of the village of Büyükgüzel were relocated to higher grounds just before the dam construction and these are the remains from structures left behind, according to the locals.