Hasankeyf Castle

Unearth History's Majesty at Hasankeyf Castle, Batman's Timeless Jewel!

Hasankeyf Castle

It is built on a monolithic rock mass at an average height of 93 meters from the edge of the Tigris River. The citadel, also called the “upper town” (Yukarı Şehir) with its walls and magnificent gates in harmony with its natural structure, was built in the 4th century CE due to its strategic importance. It was used as a military base by the Roman Empire and was inhabited as a residential area until the 1970s. The remains of the palaces for the families of the monarchs can be seen at the highest points of citadel, overlooking the whole area, with thousands of houses. In the valley to the east and south-east of the castle, there are many houses and shops that can be described as cave dwellings. Most of the houses here were carved into the rock, with wells and cisterns in front of many of them. Another remarkable feature of the castle is the spring water extraction system from the Ayyubid and the Artuqids periods. Water was transported to the castle either through earthen pipe drains from higher positions, or from the wholes drilled into the rocks. The entrance gate and the walls of the Citadel and the main structure of the outer Castle are from the Roman Period. The first building of the Great Mosque, as well as a part of the Great Castle, host the artifacts and works of the Artuqid State, which give the city its second identity. The current appearance of the Upper Town is mainly characterized by the Ayyubid Dynasty. The Small Palace, a part of the Grand Palace and the three castle gates were partially built or renovated by the Ayyubids. The caslte contains cultural assets, like the Grand Palace, the Small Palace, the Grand Mosque, and the Yusuf Ağa Mansion.

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