Submerged village mosque visited by kayak in Türkiye's Yusufeli

Documenting a Submerged History

Serhat İnce has undertaken a personal project to document the areas flooded by the Yusufeli Dam, which began filling in 2022. As the dam's water levels fluctuate, remnants of the old Yusufeli district and seven villages periodically emerge. İnce swims and dives through the ghostly, water-filled streets and homes, capturing video for social media. His recent exploration of the mosque offered the first close-up footage of the inundated place of worship, creating a poignant record of the region's recent past. "I wanted future generations to see how this story unfolded," İnce stated, explaining his motivation.

The Scale of the Yusufeli Dam Project

The Yusufeli Dam on the Çoruh River is a monumental national project. With a structural height of 275 meters, it ranks as the tallest dam in Türkiye and the fifth-tallest in the world. While it represents a significant step in the nation's energy independence and renewable power generation, its creation required the relocation of the entire town of Yusufeli to a new, modern settlement. The old town center and surrounding villages now lie beneath the reservoir, a trade-off between development and displacement common to major dam projects globally.

Preserving Memory Amidst Progress

İnce's work highlights the human and cultural dimension of large-scale development. By filming inside homes and now the mosque, he aims to preserve tangible memories of the communities that once thrived in the valley. His videos serve as a digital memorial, ensuring that the history of the area is not entirely lost to the waters. This documentation provides a unique perspective on Türkiye's rapid modernization, balancing the narrative of national progress with the personal stories and heritage of affected local populations.