Civil Engineering and Architecture Vol. 14(3), pp. 1910 - 1935
DOI: 10.13189/cea.2026.140335
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From Living Town to Open-Air Museum: The Displacement and Musealization of Hasankeyf's Heritage

Haris Handžić ^1,2,*, Kristina Careva ¹, Katja Marasović ^3
1 Faculty of Architecture, University of Zagreb, Croatia
² Faculty of Architecture, University of Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
³ Faculty of Civil Engineering, Architecture and Geodesy, University of Split, Croatia

ABSTRACT

This paper examines the removal of historical structures in Hasankeyf, a significant archaeological and cultural site in Upper Mesopotamia, as a result of the construction of the Ilısu Dam in 2020. This rare preservation effort, which included both the burial and the movement of historical sites, represents one of the largest cultural heritage relocation projects of the 21st century, comparable to the Egyptian mid-20th-century temple relocations. This study identifies all major heritage sites and structures, their background, and their individual applied methods of heritage preservation and/or relocation. This study examines the transformation of Hasankeyf from a living historic urban fabric into a curated collection of monuments within a constructed open-air museum using a structured spatial and comparative methodology. One of the main points raised is the loss of visual and contextual authenticity, as well as the factual integrity of the 12,000-year-old continuously inhabited site, due to new spatial solutions applied during preservation efforts. To achieve this, the research investigates four analytical dimensions: topographic authenticity, relational integrity, functional continuity, and diachronic accessibility. By comparing the original urban and spatial configuration of Hasankeyf to its relocated counterpart, the paper presents changes in architectural relationships, historical continuity, and the intangible dimensions of heritage sites turned into static exhibits. By establishing a systematic taxonomy of five executed preservation procedures, the paper strives to provide a replicable analytical framework for evaluating the factual and contextual integrity of relocated heritage in the context of infrastructure development.

KEYWORDS
Hasankeyf, Architectural Relocation, Musealization, Ilısu Dam, Cultural Heritage Preservation

Cite This Paper in IEEE or APA Citation Styles
(a). IEEE Format:
[1] Haris Handžić , Kristina Careva , Katja Marasović , "From Living Town to Open-Air Museum: The Displacement and Musealization of Hasankeyf's Heritage," Civil Engineering and Architecture, Vol. 14, No. 3, pp. 1910 - 1935, 2026. DOI: 10.13189/cea.2026.140335.

(b). APA Format:
Haris Handžić , Kristina Careva , Katja Marasović (2026). From Living Town to Open-Air Museum: The Displacement and Musealization of Hasankeyf's Heritage. Civil Engineering and Architecture, 14(3), 1910 - 1935. DOI: 10.13189/cea.2026.140335.