Hasankeyf has a very long history, much of which has been shaped by its position on a cliff above the south bank of the Tigris and at the northern margin of the Tur Abdin limestone plateau. At times this location has brought Hasankeyf prosperity, through its access to agriculture in the Tur Abdin, or as a point for caravans to cross the Tigris. At other times, Hasankeyf has had great military value as a fort on the border between various kingdoms and empires. However, the relative remoteness of the town from the most prominent trade routes in the region has meant that Hasankeyf's rulers and governors rarely commanded significant power, and it was generally dominated by larger cities nearby, such as Diyarbakır, Mardin, Mayafaraqin (Silvan), and more recently Batman.
A long-term surveys of the valleys to the north of Hasankeyf uncovered much evidence of prehistoric human settlement, some as old as the Lower Paleolithic period, more than 100,000 years ago.[1]
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- Ilısu Dam and HEPP: Environmental Impact Assessment Report (PDF), Ilısu Consortium, 31 July 2005
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