The cultural and historical heritage of Hasankeyf in Turkey is threatened by the construction of a dam in the region. As the reservoir fills, parts of the historic area will be submerged. To preserve this important cultural heritage, several monuments are being relocated and restored.
One of these monuments is the 800-year-old Artuklu Hammam. The historic bathhouse was successfully relocated to a cultural museum located 2.7 kilometres away at a higher elevation. In preparation for this remarkable relocation project, the monument was fitted with a prestressed concrete beam frame and jacked up by more than 1.5 metres.
The relocation itself was carried out using Self-Propelled Modular Transporters (SPMTs). At its new location, the hammam was positioned near the 15th-century Zeynel Bey Tomb, which had also been relocated earlier, in May 2017.
Thanks to the relocation and restoration works, this unique piece of cultural heritage has been preserved for future generations.
