Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
XIIth International ProGEO Symposium Celebrating Geoheritage and Geoparks, Tulcea, Romanya, 30 Ekim - 02 Kasım 2025, cilt.1, sa.12, ss.34, (Özet Bildiri)
CULTURAL GEOLOGY AND MINING HERITAGE: ANCIENT
UNDERGROUND NATURAL STONE QUARRY OPERATIONS IN
HARRAN, ŞANLIURFA, SOUTHEASTERN TÜRKİYE
Hülya İnaner1,2, Seyfi Kulaksız3, Faruk Çalapkulu1,4, Sacit Özer1,5,
Ramazan Hacımustafaoğlu6, Bayram Kahraman7
Keywords: JEMİRKO, geoheritage, Anatolia, limestones, Gaziantep Formation, flint
The Harran region is a limestone platform facing the Arabian Plate. The Harran plain is
geomorphologically a polje. The Middle Late Eocene-Oligocene limestones in this region were exploited
as quarries and provided shelter from both heat and cold. Following the end of the Ice Age, around
12,000 years ago, Homo sapiens established settlements in the Harran region of Southeastern Anatolia
and succeeded in cultivating wheat. Natural stone was first used for defence, shelter, grain grinding, and
water retention purposes.
While over a thousand ancient stone quarries have been identified across Turkey, one of the earliest
examples is found at Göbeklitepe in Şanlıurfa. In the Tek Tek Mountains, located 17 kilometers
southeast of Harran, underground natural stone mining activities were carried out in the Bazda Caves
(Bazda Ancient Marble Quarries), dated to around 6500 BCE. These quarries were officially designated
as a 1st Degree Archaeological Site in 2010 and were included in the geoheritage inventory of
JEMİRKO (the Turkish Association for the Conservation of the Geological Heritage). Harran is also
included in the World Heritage Tentative list of UNESCO as historical, archaeological, architectural and
scientific heritage.
In the Bazda underground quarries, galleries stretching hundreds of meters were excavated using the
"room and pillar" technique in stylolitic and nummulitic limestones of the Eocene-Oligocene-aged
Gaziantep Formation. The stone blocks produced here were later used in numerous historical structures
throughout Harran and Şanlıurfa.
In this region, the limestones are intercalated by basalt flows from Karacadağ shield volcano, and the
carvings were shaped using flint extracted from the limestone. The high ceilings (up to 25 meters) and
multi-level underground structures reflect an advanced understanding of engineering. Chimneys (shafts)
were created for ventilation and lighting. Tool marks, support pillars and ventilation systems, all point to
a sophisticated level of ancient mining expertise. Within the quarries, carved stone hooks, inscriptions,
and symbols are present, though some have deteriorated over time. Partial collapses have occurred in the
Bazda quarries due to earthquakes and natural erosion.
Bazda stands out as a significant site meeting UNESCO criterion as both a geological and cultural
heritage location. To ensure its preservation, restoration, structural reinforcement, and sustainable
tourism, initiatives are urgently required. Through archaeometric analyses, the characteristics and ages of
the tools and materials used can be identified, potentially offering new insights into the history of ancient
mining worldwide.