Discover how Turkish people move tombs weighing 1100 tons

The Turks displaced a 541-year-old stone tomb weighing 1,100 tons to make room for the reservoir of the country's largest hydroelectric dam.

Built in 1475 by a Turkish leader, Zeynel Bey's mausoleum was moved from the original 12,000-year-old Hasankeyf town to a new 'cultural park' more than 1.6 km away - and 60m higher than the original surface.

This costly move brought the tomb out of the area affected by a huge reservoir that would flood the Tigris River valley when it smashed Ilisu into operation.

Although some objections to 'relocation' because of concerns that ancient tombs will be damaged, supporters argue that the move is made to preserve culture.

Tomb of Zeynel Bey.(Photo: Getty Images).

This mausoleum represents the Anatolian architecture : two domes for ventilation, higher than 15 meters and 7.5 meters in diameter. The complex tile section and the overarching position of the Tigris make it one of the most popular tourist attractions in the area.

Engineers and conservationists have considered several options, including flooding the tomb, or building a concrete tunnel around it - one can go there with an underwater tunnel system longer than 3km. and light rail.

The process of transporting the tomb.(Photo: Getty Images).

Even when Turkey's State Irrigation Works Agency (DSI) determines resettlement and agrees to pay $ 4.2 million, the obstacles remain.

Dozens of workers started by drilling horizontal beams on the base of the tomb to build a new concrete foundation. Then, the hydraulic system lifts the foundation, the stone tower and the whole up, so that the transport vehicle can get into position.

This mausoleum is representative of Anatolian architecture.(Photo: Getty Images).

Ahmet Turer, an engineer who oversees the project, said: "As always, things are not always as convenient as you intended. We had a lot of trouble on the day of travel."

Right at the beginning of the road built specifically for relocation, the generator runs out of gas. This means that the system stability of the structure during transport has been operational. A wheel also has a tire spray.

But the fuel is quickly reloaded, a backup monitoring system is installed and eliminates broken wheels.

Surrounded by the flag of Turkey, the tomb begins to slowly rise. It took more than three and a half hours to reach the destination. Engineers have installed a basic isolation system, capable of absorbing seismic shocks and protecting the tower from future earthquakes.

Restoration work will continue at the new location. The remains of the tomb owner Zeynel Bey - who have been excavated a few years ago and taken to keep them from robbery - will be buried again.

Restoration work will continue at the new location.(Photo: Getty Images).

There are 8 other historical buildings that will be moved to the new location, called Hasankeyf Cultural Park. But Ahmet Turer was worried about the following relocation: a few buildings on the other side of the Tigris river were almost inaccessible and the time could be too short.

A day of beating Ilisu inactive is counted as losing 1 million dollars. It is likely that the reservoir will be flooded before relocating many works.

The Ilisu dam has been controversial since it was proposed to be built in 1954 and the controversial issues are increasingly complicated.

Ilisu Dam will create 2% of Turkey's electricity. But it will sink dozens of towns on the Tigris River, including the 12,000-year-old town Hasankeyf; threatens to exacerbate the drought below the lower part of Iraq and Syria.