Drought exposes all the layers of Hastek Castle flooded by the waters of the Keban Dam

Three layers of the historic Hastek Castle, which was flooded when the Keban Dam in the Ağın district of Elazığ began to hold water in 1974 was exposed this year when the waters receded due to drought.

Hastek Castle, located on the borders of Yenipayam village of the district and accessible only by boats, consists of rooms and narrow galleries several meters long connecting these rooms, made by carving floor by floor of cliffs descending steeply to Keban Dam Lake.

There are large rooms for use in the castle, a temple area and sections resembling a rock tomb, as well as battlements used as lighting, ventilation or a place of defense in the galleries.

Located on the edge of the Euphrates River with the current name of Euphrates in ancient sources, Hastek Castle is one of the most important places for the region.

There are also rock carvings consisting of several layers in the Holes here. The castle was designed as a three-storey consstruction, carved on the bedrock.

It is said that there is information that the castle was used as a border outpost during the Eastern Roman Empire