Gölpınar Dam

The Gölpınar Dam, also known as the Alacahöyük Dam, is a Hittite dam from the second millennium BC, near Alaca Höyük in central Turkey.

History

A Hittite inscription in Luwian hieroglyphs found during excavation of the area indicates that the structure was dedicated to the Hittite goddess Ḫepat. This goddess was honoured by Puduhepa, the wife of Great King Hattusili III, who called herself the goddess' servant. From a cuneiform document it is known that her son, Tudhaliya IV, who succeeded Hattusili, had ten dams built in the Hittite empire around 1240 BC after a period of drought. From this it may be concluded that the Gölpınar dam is the work of Tudhaliya. It provided irrigation water and possibly drinking water to the inhabitants of Alaca Höyük.

The dam was first discovered and partially exposed during the Turkish archaeologists Hâmit Zübeyir Koşay and Remzi Oğuz Arık [de]'s excavations at Alaca Höyük in 1935. Between 2002 and 2007, the dam was fully excavated, repaired and placed back in active use by the Turkish archaeologists Aykut Çınaroğlu und Elif Genç in collaboration with the Turkish State Hydraulic Works (Devlet Su İşleri). As a result, a lake of around a million cubic metres was created, which can be used to irrigate around 20 hectares of farmland.

Location and structure

The dam is located in a hilly area about 1.5 kilometres southeast of the hill settlement of Alaca Höyük in the İlçe [de] of Alaca in Çorum province on the road to Karamahmut and the town of Alaca.

The nearly rectangular reservoir measures around 110 metres from west to east and around 100 metres from north to south. Three sides of the reservoir are edged with rubble, while the dam at the western end forms the fourth side. With a depth at the centre of 2.5 metres, the pool had a capacity of 27,500 cubic metres. It was fed by several springs within the reservoir, the most important of which lay in the southwest of the basin. In front of the dam was a 130 metres long spillway basin, flanked by two canals. At both ends of the dam were sluices, for overflow which it was possible to put back into partial use. The total thickness of the dam is around 15 metres, it rises more than two metres above the water level. The dam structure is composed of roughly fist-sized stones, which were made waterproof using clay. The base of the spillway is also covered with clay.

West of the dam there was a wall with three pedestals made of sandstone, limestone and andesite respectively. In the pool, at the crest of the dam, a pedestal with the aforementioned inscribed stele in honour of Ḫepat came to light. In addition, a golden decoration with a ruby in it was uncovered, probably a pendant.

Bibliography

  • Aykut Çınaroğlu, Elif Genç: "Alaca Höyük ve Alaca Höyük Barajı Kazıları," Kazı Sonuçları Toplantısı Vol. 25.1 T.C. Kültür Bakanlığı, 2003, pp. 278–288.
  • Aykut Çınaroğlu, Elif Genç: "2003 Yılı Alaca Höyük ve Alaca Höyük Barajı Kazıları," Kazı Sonuçları Toplantısı Vol. 26.1 T.C. Kültür Bakanlığı, 2004, pp. 265–276.
  • Aykut Çınaroğlu, Elif Genç: "2004 Yılı Alaca Höyük ve Alaca Höyük Barajı Kazıları," Kazı Sonuçları Toplantısı Vol. 27.1 T.C. Kültür Bakanlığı, 2005, pp. 1–6.

External links

Listed in the following categories:
Post a comment
Tips & Hints
Arrange By:
There are no tips nor hints for Gölpınar Dam yet. Maybe be you will be the first one to post useful information for fellow travellers? :)
4.3/10
36 people have been here
Map
19600, 19602 Alacahöyük/Alaca/Çorum, Turkey Get directions

Hattuşa Sanat Merkezi on Foursquare

Other languages

Hotels nearby

See all hotels See all
Ziyabey Mansion

starting $0

SarI Konak Boutique & SPA Hotel

starting $83

Hotel Dalgiclar

starting $40

Gözlek Termal Hotel

starting $29

Hotel Baykal

starting $18

Uluhan Otel

starting $31

Recommended sights nearby

See all See all
Add to wishlist
I've been here
Visited
Alaca Höyük

Alacahöyük or Alaca Höyük (sometimes also spelt as Alacahüyük, Euyuk

Add to wishlist
I've been here
Visited
Yazılıkaya

Yazılıkaya (Turkish for 'inscribed rock') was a sanctuary of H

Add to wishlist
I've been here
Visited
Hattusa

Hattusa (Hittite: {{hide in print|{{unicode|

Add to wishlist
I've been here
Visited
Hattusa

Hattusa (Hittite: {{unicode|

Add to wishlist
I've been here
Visited
Sapinuwa

Sapinuwa (sometimes Shapinuwa; Hittite: Šapinuwa) was a Bronze Age

Add to wishlist
I've been here
Visited
Maşat Höyük

Maşat Höyük is a Bronze Age Hittite archaeological site 100 km ne

Add to wishlist
I've been here
Visited
Zile

Zile, also known as Zela, is a city and a district of Tokat Province,

Add to wishlist
I've been here
Visited
Üçayak Byzantine Church

The ruins of the Üçayak Byzantine Church (Turkish: Üçayak Kil

Similar tourist attractions

See all See all
Add to wishlist
I've been here
Visited
Machu Picchu

Machu Picchu (Quechua: Machu Pikchu, 'Old Peak', pronounced ]) is a

Add to wishlist
I've been here
Visited
Acropolis of Athens

The Acropolis of Athens is the best known acropolis (Gr. akros, akron,

Add to wishlist
I've been here
Visited
Old Town, Al-'Ula

The Old Town is an archaeological site near Al-'Ula, Medina Province,

Add to wishlist
I've been here
Visited
Persepolis

Persepolis (Шаблон:Audio Old Persian: Pārsa, Modern Persian: تخت جم

Add to wishlist
I've been here
Visited
Temple of Poseidon, Sounion

The ancient Greek temple of Poseidon at Cape Sounion, built during

See all similar places