Treasure hunters loot evacuated site in Kayseri

KAYSERİ

Başköy neighborhood, a disaster area evacuated in 2011 in the Yeşilhisar district of Kayseri, has fallen victim to treasure hunters as 21 churches and 14 historic houses have been destroyed by individuals illegally excavating and looting valuable artifacts despite the protective measures put in place.

“The former neighborhood residents were relocated to reconstructed and newly built houses in the region by the state in 2014. However, the treasure hunters have been running around since then, despite all security measures, and have been conducting unauthorized excavations, resulting in the destruction of precious historical sites,” according to historian Yusuf Ateş.

The neighborhood established during the Roman period was declared a disaster area in 2011 after a tragic incident where a citizen lost their life due to a rockfall. Subsequently, residents were resettled in a newly constructed residential area.

Ateş provided insights into the region, stating, “Due to its historical buildings and architectural houses, Başköy has been officially registered as a first-degree archaeological site.”

“The most significant structures under protection include the old Başköy Mosque, originally built as a church in the 19th century and later converted into a mosque, the Virgin Mary Monastery dating back to the sixth century A.D., and the old school building constructed in 1913,” he added.

Highlighting the neighborhood’s history, Ateş explained, “Başköy, known as Megasus during the Byzantine period and later renamed Kavasus, came under Turkish control in the mid-13th century. It underwent subsequent name changes to Kavaklıköy, Dereköy, and Ortaköy, respectively. Finally, in 1928, it acquired its present name, Başköy.”

Yusuf Tuncer, the local headman of the neighborhood, expressed his frustration, saying, “We are working day and night, but we are unable to keep up with the treasure hunters.”