Türkiye moves 1,100-ton tomb to new location 1.6 km away

The nearly 600-year-old, 1,100-ton tomb of a Turkish prince has been successfully moved to a new location 1.6 kilometers away from its original location.

The 541-year-old structure was relocated to make way for Türkiye’s largest hydroelectric dam. Witnessed by a large crowd of locals, the tomb of Zeynel Bey was transported on a small wheeled cart to its new location in Hasankeyf, Turkey, on May 12, according to National Geographic.

Built in 1475 by King Uzun Hassan to commemorate his son who died in battle, the domed tower mausoleum has been moved from its original location in the 12,000-year-old town of Hasankeyf to a cultural park more than a mile away and 200 feet higher. The costly plan is to move the mausoleum away from the impact of a giant reservoir that will flood the Tigris River valley when the Ilısub hydroelectric dam comes online.

Although there have been some objections to the relocation of the structure due to concerns that the mausoleum will be affected, supporters say the goal of the relocation plan is to preserve culture.

The mausoleum is a fine example of Anatolian architecture with its ventilated dome top, 15 m high and 7.6 m in diameter, elaborate brickwork and position overlooking the Tigris River.

Engineers and conservation experts considered several options, including flooding the mausoleum, or building a concrete bunker around the mausoleum, accessible via a 2-mile (3.2-km) underwater tunnel with a light rail system.

After the Turkish government's State Hydraulic Works (DSI) approved the relocation plan and agreed to a $4.2 million budget, there were still many hurdles to clear. "But usually things don't always go as planned. We had a lot of trouble on the day of the relocation," said Ahmet Turer, the civil engineer overseeing the plan.

A construction team of dozens of people began drilling several vertical support beams at the base of the mausoleum to hold the new concrete foundation. Hydraulic jacks helped lift the foundation and stone tower, allowing transport vehicles to move into place.

But at the beginning of the road built specifically for the relocation, the generator ran out of gas, the system monitoring the stability of the structure during transportation did not work, and a tire was flat.

Turer and his colleagues continued their efforts, mindful of government officials watching and the dam not far away. Gas was replenished, a backup monitoring system was activated, and the damaged wheel was removed.

Restoration work will continue at the new site, the Hasankeyf Cultural Park. Authorities also plan to relocate eight other historic buildings, but Turer is unsure if this will be possible because some are on the almost impassable side of the Tigris and time is running out.

According to VNE