|new agricultural place|
Hasankeyf is a small village at the Tigris River, on the road between Batman and Midyat. A modern bridge now spans that river, but the impressive remains of a much older bridge are standing tall. High rocks house thousands of rock houses, and support a mosque and the remains of an extensive ancient city, now in ruins. The town was founded in Roman times as a border post with Persia. It started out as Cephe or Kiphas, and was renamed Hisn Kayfa by the Arabs who conquered it in 640. Later Artokids and Ajjadubids ruled, until the Mongols plundered it so thoroughly in 1260 that it never regained its glory. The age of the old bridge is unknown, it has been restored in 1116 by the Ortokid Fahr ed-Din Kara Arslan. In the Kale or citadel one can find the remains of an Ortokid palace (not very impressive, though) and a Ulu or Great Mosque. The town is to be submerged by the waters of an artifical lake, like there are a lot in these areas (the Ilisu Dam Project) despite protests against the cultural vandalism involved. For that reason I decided to pay the town another visit in June 2010. I found the ancient türbe was being restored (the labourers explained: to be moved later to a dry spot, they did not know how). A nearby hamam (Turkish bath) was to be drowned, and was being prepared for possible survival until later generations might want to safe it yet. I used a fish eye a lot, some shots are bizarre, but they show how much there is to see in a rather compact space.
A small town with a great heritage, Hasankeyf already attracts about 500.000 visitors each year, a number expected to rise. Given its historical, architectural and economic significance for the region, public opinion supports its preservation. The area was declared a First Degree Archaeological Site by Turkey's Supreme Board of Monuments in 1978 and has been under the protection of the Culture Ministry's General Directorate of Antiquities and Museums since 1981.The urgent threat to Hasankeyf is posed by the Ilisu dam hydroelectric power project which, if implemented as planned, would submerge the site under 65 metres of water by 2018
The age of the old bridge is unknown, it has been restored in 1116 by the Ortokid Fahr ed-Din Kara Arslan. In the Kale or citadel one can find the remains of an Ortokid palace (not very impressive, though) and a Ulu or Great Mosque. The town is to be submerged by the waters of an artifical lake, like there are a lot in these areas (the Ilisu Dam Project) despite protests against the cultural vandalism involved. For that reason I decided to pay the town another visit in June 2010. I found the ancient türbe was being restored (the labourers explained: to be moved later to a dry spot, they did not know how). A nearby hamam (Turkish bath) was to be drowned, and was being prepared for possible survival until later generations might want to safe it yet. I used a fish eye a lot, some shots are bizarre, but they show how much there is to see in a rather compact space.
Hasankeyf has a historical and organic texture. This texture is also influential in the climate and agriculture. How do we collect the parametric world of the new age in a production space?Going out of this question, I have examined the relationship between agriculture and texture. Parametric relations are referenced from production relations.They can define its theoretical expression and technical character, and impact its production process, its assembly method and even its ecological footprint. Contemporary architecture shows a new interest in detailing, which should not be confused with a return to the appreciation of artisanal work.Parametric design is not unfamiliar territory for architects. From ancient pyramids to contemporary institutions, buildings have been designed and constructed in relationship to a variety of changing forces, including climate, technology, use, character, setting, culture, and mood. The computer did not invent parametric design, nor did it redefine architecture or the profession; it did provide a valuable tool that has since enabled architects to design and construct innovative buildings with more exacting qualitative and quantitative conditions
