Hasankeyf is a settlement on the Tigris with roughly 12,000 years of continuous habitation, visible in rock-cut caves, a ruined medieval bridge, and an Artuqid-era minaret, all set into a dramatic river gorge. Much of the old town was flooded by the Ilısu Dam, and a New Hasankeyf archaeological park now displays several relocated monuments, so a visit today mixes the surviving in-situ ruins with what was moved to save it. Being only 37 km from Batman, it works well as a slower-paced half-to-full day rather than a rushed stop.
| Distance | 37 km from Batman |
|---|---|
| Travel time | 45 minutes by dolmuş |
| Getting there | Dolmuş from Batman Otogar hourly 07:00–17:00; 25 TRY (~$0.85 USD) one way |
| Address | Hasankeyf, Batman Province |
How to get there
- Dolmuş from Batman Otogar
- Taxi (300 TRY one way, ~$10 USD)
Location
Hasankeyf, Batman Province
37.7083, 41.4011 View on map
Highlights
- Hasankeyf Castle and the cave dwellings — rock-cut caves carved into the cliffside beneath and around the citadel, some inhabited into the 20th century.
- Old Tigris Bridge ruins — the surviving stone piers of a medieval bridge once considered one of the largest of its era, now partly submerged.
- Er-Rizk Mosque minaret — an Artuqid-era minaret, one of the monuments relocated to the New Hasankeyf archaeological park above the reservoir.
- Zeynel Bey Tomb — a 15th-century turquoise-tiled tomb, also physically moved to higher ground as part of the relocation project.
- El Rızk Mosque — an Ayyubid-era mosque associated with the old settlement, part of the same cluster of preserved structures.