Drop in dam water reveals ancient village in SE Turkey

By Ahmet Kaplan

DIYARBAKIR, Turkey

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

The gate of Dicle Dam in Diyarbakir 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 (32 feet) and revealed the remains of Carikoren 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 Kilic, 53, told Anadolu Agency when he was a child they had to move to the city center after water level of the dam 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,” Kilic 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 Inci, 36, said that tomb of Elisha was in the village before it was transferred to another place in Diyarbakir in 1995.

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