Imagine a city carved into rock — and later moved stone by stone to defy the waters of a dam…
The Hasankeyf Museum and Archaeological Site unite the past and future of one of Mesopotamia’s most ancient settlements. Inside the modern museum building, artifacts from the Neolithic era to the Ottoman period are displayed with digital presentations. Right beside it lies the New Hasankeyf Open-Air Site, featuring relocated architectural landmarks such as the Artukid Bath, Zeynel Bey Mausoleum, Er-Rızk Mosque minaret, and the Orta Gate — offering visitors a truly one-of-a-kind open-air museum experience.

Hasankeyf’s history stretches back 12,000 years, making it one of the world’s oldest continuously inhabited human settlements. During the Roman period, it served as a strategic fortress city, and in the Middle Ages, it was the capital of the Artuqid and Ayyubid dynasties. Before the ancient settlement by the Tigris River was submerged under the Ilısu Dam, its most important monuments were carefully relocated to safety. Opened in 2020, the Hasankeyf Museum now preserves this remarkable heritage within a modern architectural setting.

Viofun’s Recommendation:
Take a short break in the shade of the Zeynel Bey Mausoleum in the new settlement area. Then, spend some time admiring the mosaics, figurines, and clay tablets displayed inside the museum. In Hasankeyf, where the old and the new coexist, you experience not just a visit — but an emotional passage through time.