A captivating discovery in southeastern Turkey has unearthed a piece of the Roman Empire’s past, revealing a fourth-century military structure that had long been hidden beneath the layers of time. Located in Hasankeyf, one of the world’s oldest continuously inhabited sites, this newly found fortress confirms historical records of its construction during the reign of Emperor Constantius II.
Hasankeyf, nestled on the banks of the Tigris River, boasts a remarkable history spanning over 10,000 years. Over the centuries, more than 20 cultures, including the Assyrians, Byzantines, and Ottomans, have left their mark on this ancient settlement. When the Romans arrived, they strategically built a fort to protect their empire’s border with Persia. Although historical records mentioned the fort, and archaeological excavations have been ongoing since the 1980s, it wasn’t until this summer that the fort was finally located by a team of researchers led by Zekai Erdal, an art historian at Mardin Artuklu University.
Erdal, working closely with Roman architecture experts, identified the large, blocky stones as remnants of the “opus isodomum” wall construction technique, a method commonly employed by the Romans in their public buildings but less frequent in the empire’s provinces. The fort, once known as Cepha, derived its name from the Aramaic word for “rock.”
During the 350s, Constantius II strategically built a series of fortresses, including Cepha, along the eastern frontier of the Roman Empire, aiming to shield the local population from Persian invasions. Despite a peace treaty signed in 363 between the Roman emperor Jovian and the Persian king Shapur II, Cepha remained a crucial Roman fortress and military outpost.
The archaeological excavation at Hasankeyf has unearthed a treasure trove of artifacts spanning various time periods. Among these discoveries are a clay horse figurine from the Iron Age, floral frescoes dating back to the 13th and 14th centuries, and Muslim coffins from the Ottoman period.
In a 2023 excavation, Erdal and his team unearthed an 800-year-old “healing bowl” inscribed with spells used in folk medicine. They also recovered two rings made of bone and agate, likely used by archers during the Middle Ages for finger protection.
The construction of the Ilısu Dam (also called the Veysel Eroğlu Dam) on the Tigris River in 2018 led to the flooding of much of Hasankeyf. To preserve its rich history, many of the ancient structures and artifacts have been relocated to the Archeopark area, transforming it into an open-air museum. However, according to Erdal, only the lower part of ancient Hasankeyf was submerged by the dam, while the upper part, encompassing the citadel and the newly discovered fort, remains untouched by the rising waters. This remarkable discovery not only illuminates the military strategies of the Roman Empire but also underscores the enduring significance of Hasankeyf as a testament to the interconnectedness of civilizations throughout history.