Mosque on the move: Historic Islamic site in Turkey wheeled away ahead of dam flooding

A historical mosque in southeastern Turkey has been wheeled away in

The Er Rizk Mosque in Hasankeyf in Batman province, is one of several buildings in the village making way for the Ilisu dam project on the Tigris that will submerge the village when it opens.

The mosque was moved to a cultural park about four kilometers away from its original spot.

Er Rizk Mosque from the 15th century is transported from the ancient town of Hasankeyf by the Tigris river, which will be significantly submerged by the Ilisu dam. Reuters

"We had completed our tests on roads by yesterday, and there was no problem. Today, we will carry the monument through a 4,670-meter-long way to its new place at archeo-park," said Ali Naci Kosali, a officer for the moving project.

He said the mosque's minaret was dismantled and kept in storage. It will be restored once the mosque is in place.

Hasankeyf was declared a conservation area in 1981. There are nearly 6,000 caves around the town that contain the remnants of Christian and Muslim worship, as well as a Byzantine fortress.