2. Topic of the Project
Anatolia has witnessed many civilizations throughout the history starting from the time the human being civilized till today. Different nations' cultures and different religions have lived together. Different cultures have affected each other, which has contributed to development of mankind. We live in one of the parts of Anatolia which is rich in historical values. As Private Sanko Schools, we are trying to protect these values we inherited from the past, and we are trying to show our awareness of nature and the environment with such activities.
Lastly, during the Zeugma trip that we went as a group from our school, we wanted to do something for Rumkale which is less known and popular. Both Zeugma and Rumkale were two very big and important historical places which were so close to each other but while it was easy to get to Zeugma, it was almost impossible to get to Rumkale that day.
On the following days, not to be ignorant to the problem of Rumkale and to find a solution, we started to discuss about what can be done about the transportation problem of Rumkale. So this has become a starting point for our project.
2.1. Problem I: Access to Rumkale
In the beginning of our project, a cultural center of once was suffering. Rumkale covering an area of 3500 km and having survived since 9 BC is in a ruined situation at present. The bridge which used to enable transportation now remains underwater and what is left from it are only the legs. As a result, the most important reason why Rumkale was idle was the transportation problem. On the other hand, Rumkale is one of the places affected by the Birecik Dam construction. As it is located on a hill with a height of 500m Rumkale will not be in danger of the water which will raise till 348 height, but the difficult transportation will be much worse and more difficult. At the time of preparation to the project, as Rumkale is on a peninsula and the connection was cut by a ditch, the access to Rumkale was only by only small old boats.
2.2. Problem II: The Environmental Organization and Making the Local People Conscious.
In order to get the attention to Rumkale and to raise consciousness, and also to determine Rumkale's needs and to provide them, we needed plenty of activities and campaigns. The public wanted this important value to be in the place it deserves but they couldn't pay enough attention because of the life conditions they have. They were using that place as a pasture in their daily lives without even thinking of the hard conditions that the castle is in.
2. 2. Why Rumkale?
Rumkale, 25 km away from the district of Yavuzeli in Gaziantep, used as an educational center in the terms when Christianity and Islam were dominant is a place where a number of states have been founded and collapsed and various cultures, nations and religions have existed altogether. In addition, this region is a unique geography where a cultural and biological variety comes together. Today Rumkale is close to Kasaba Village in Yavuzeli. This historical place is on a rocky hill, where the Euphrates and the Merzimen stream meet, on the west coast of the Euphrates. The extension of the rocks on the south of the castle is made a ditch carving with a depth of 30m and a width of 20m. By this way, the relation between the castle and the land is cut off to be protected. And today Rumkale has gained a vision of peninsula surrounded by lakes from three sides.
After the trip to Zeugma which has the most important mosaic wonders in itself, the starting point of the project was to make the public conscious of Rumkale and to find solutions to the transportation problem of Rumkale which is almost in the same region with Zeugma but not sharing the same destiny because of the belief that the historical places with little transportation problems are seen more important and it is more common to pay attention to those places with few problems.
2.2.1. The History of Rumkale
The foundation of Rumkale dates back to the antiquities. It is accepted that people have lived in that region since the Assyrian term because of its strategic location and this place is "Sitamrat" known as seized by King III. Salmanassar in 855 BC. The architectural remnants from Rumkale in the rule of Assyria, Med, Roman and Arabic civilizations have the characteristics of late Roman and Middle Ages.
What can be seen in the castle:
- Eastern Door
- Western Door
- Turbinal Well
- Barşavma Monastery
- Poet Saint Nerses Church
- Towers and the Main Walls
- Ditch
Outer Walls
Outer walls of Rumkale are 230 meters long and 1.20 meters wide in length. On the north and east ramparts there are 7 rectangle towers and there are a plenty of embrasure windows. Most of the towers have been ruined by the natural disasters and wars. The doors of the castle have the samples of lapidary and the ceiling reflects the best samples of the flat order of the rocks.
Barşavma Monastery
The monastery is inside the city walls and in the northern part of the castle. It is known that in the 13th century, Yakubis inhabited the castle and were largely engaged in building. The monastery the St. Azizi had the monastery built in his name was one of those. Today, only some parts of the monastery attached to each other remains afoot.
Saint Nerses Church
The Church located on the southern part of the castle was built by Saint Nerses for his own name. It is a church with a rectangle plan, 3 naves and 3 apsises. The back side of the church has been destroyed.
Turbinal Well
In order to meet the water need, a well seized 6m and with 70m depth is built. Stairs in the shape of rectangle are used.
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