Seljuk-Era inn emerges from a drying water reservoir

Drought causes the ruins of a 816-year-old Seljuk inn to emerge from the waters of the Altınapa dam, Konya Province, Central Turkey.

Seljuk inn (by Hurriyet Daily News)

The water level in the Altınapa dam has declined as a result of a drop in rainfall, allowing the Seljuk-era inn to reappear above water after being forgotten in the past decades. The inn is reported to have merged prominently during summer last year because of the drought. According to the experts, the Altınapa Inn was among the oldest monuments from the Seljuk period, adding that it served people for centuries. A document with a date of 1201 AD about it mentions a statesman from the Seljuk era who built monuments. According to Ahmet Çaycı from Necmettin Erbakan University, the inn is located in a very strategic point.

The reservoir provides drinking water to the province of Konya. After the dam was built in 1950s the Seljuk inn submerged. The researchers state that the inn submerges or reappears depending on the level of rainfall. The structure is said to reflect typical architecture of the Seljuk period. It is composed of a closed building and has an open yard. The building was meant to provide security. Besides hosting guests, it also provided haven for merchants.

(after Hurriyet Daily News)

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