Halfeti

When the Birecik dam filled in 2000, the reservoir rose over the lower part of Halfeti and the village of Savaşan downstream, and what had been a riverside town became a waterfront one with its old quarters underneath. The image that resulted is the reason people come: the minaret of the drowned mosque at Savaşan standing alone out of the water, with submerged house walls visible below the surface when the level drops. Boats run from Halfeti's quay to Savaşan, on to Rumkale and back, taking a couple of hours, with the Euphrates green and still between rock walls. The town above water has stone houses, cafés and terraces, and its other trademark is the karagül, the black rose - a local cultivar of Rosa odorata whose flowers open so dark a red they read as black in this soil, grown in small quantity and heavily merchandised. Halfeti, 120 kilometres from Şanlıurfa, is a Cittaslow member and quiet outside the summer boat season; before the water came, people here lived from fishing in the Euphrates and growing pistachios on the banks, and the new town stands at Karaotlak.

Highlights

• The drowned minaret - the tower standing out of the reservoir.
• The submerged walls - house remains under the water at Savaşan.
• The boat trip - the run downstream to Rumkale and back.
• The black roses - the dark local cultivar sold in town.

When to go

April to June and September to November; summers are extremely hot. Boats run most reliably in the warmer months. Rose season is spring.

What to expect

The black rose is dark red rather than black. Boat fares are negotiated and vary. Water levels change what is visible. The town above water is small.

Nearby

Rumkale is up the reservoir; Birecik is downstream to the south, and Gaziantep is south-west.

Key facts