The Hasankeyf Workshop
The Hasankeyf Workshop is a social initiative aimed at empowering the women of Hasankeyf, in Eastern Türkiye, through art workshops that promote self-expression and the showcasing of their historic village.
Tandem
“Tandem”, in other words “in parallel,” “in cooperation,” or “in combination”, is the philosophy of the Tandem Turkey programme, which is part of the broader Tandem for Culture family. It is a cultural collaboration programme that strengthens civil society across Europe and its neighbouring regions, bringing together cultural professionals from different countries to co-create small-scale projects with a big impact.
Kick-off Meeting
Peripatos was selected to participate in the 4th Tandem Turkey forum and travelled to Şirince, near Izmir, to present its work and ideas, connect with other groups from Europe and Türkiye, and form a new tandem partnership. Our participation in the forum brought us together with our “other tandem half,” the women’s collective Özgür Kadın Kolektifi, based in Batman, Eastern Türkiye.
37 kilometers south of the city of Batman, on the banks of the Tigris River, lies Hasankeyf – a place of remarkable natural beauty and rich historical heritage. Known since antiquity and referenced in Byzantine documents, the village is home to hundreds of medieval monuments and thousands of rock-cut caves, all bearing witness to a long-standing human presence. Over the centuries, it transitioned from Roman control to successive Muslim dynasties and eventually became the capital of the Artuqids, before being incorporated into the Ottoman Empire. At the same time, it served as a key hub along the Silk Road, with a thriving ceramics industry.
In recent years, Hasankeyf became the focus of a major development project: the construction of the Ilisu Dam. This initiative resulted in the relocation of the local population and the establishment of a new settlement, as the original area had been submerged. Within this context, the region’s social challenges also come to the surface – including the limited participation of women in the workforce and the high rate of school dropout among girls. The need for new opportunities and safe spaces for expression and empowerment was central to the design and implementation of the current initiative.
The project
Wanting to connect the economic and social development of women with the archaeological site of Hasankeyf, we designed the programme The Hasankeyf Workshop. Through the teaching of arts and crafts techniques, we provided participants with the tools to develop their own creative activities, drawing inspiration from their homeland. This initiative has twofold significance, reflecting two equally important needs: on one hand, through photography and handicraft workshops, we support the self-expression and personal development of the women in the local community; on the other hand, their very creativity becomes a means of highlighting the cultural heritage of Hasankeyf.
The project design was based on the principles of Public Archaeology. This approach aims at the active participation of non-specialist audiences in the preservation and management of cultural heritage. Initially, we wanted to encourage the women of the area to take part in promoting and safeguarding the historical value of Hasankeyf, especially given its imminent destruction. However, the project’s purpose evolved into an opportunity for socialisation and self-expression for the women.
Midterm Meeting
We met in Cappadocia to present the progress of our collaboration with the women’s collective Özgür Kadın Kolektifi. We also had the opportunity to participate in team-empowerment workshops, as well as other cultural and creative activities.
Hasankeyf: Through her own eyes
The project traveled to Athens to present its results through the photo exhibition Hasankeyf: Through her own eyes, held at the Melissa Migrant Women’s Network space.
The creativity and personal expression of women, often invisible in everyday life, come together in this photography exhibition, taking us on a journey to life and the beauties of Anatolia, through their eyes. Alongside the exhibition, the short documentary Atölye’de / In the Workshop, also produced by the project, is screened. The documentary offers an intimate look into the world of the women of Hasankeyf, as revealed by themselves throughout the creative process of the workshops.
Final Meeting
Our team presented the project results in Odessa to a vibrant community of culture and civil society professionals! Through a comprehensive review of both the project and our collaboration with the Özgür Kadın Kolektifi collective, we concluded our activities in Hasankeyf. However, political and cultural developments in the region continue, and the preservation of this historic site remains a priority. The conclusion of this project also marks a new beginning for future collaborations within the large Tandem for Culture family.
Partners
The Hasankeyf Workshop is co-organised by the socio-cultural enterprise Peripatos and the women’s cooperative Özgür Kadin Kolektifi, based in the city of Batman, Türkiye, with the support of the non-profit organisation Diadrasis and the Tandem Turkey programme. This strategic partnership was developed through shared interests in promoting cultural heritage and strengthening the role of women in its protection and management.
Tandem Turkey is an initiative of the organisations European Cultural Foundation (Amsterdam), MitÖst (Berlin), and Anadolu Kültür (Istanbul), funded by Stiftung Mercator (Essen).
Finally, we warmly thank Hüseyin Eryurt from the NGO Turkey’s Culture Routes Society for his advisory support in our endeavor.