Halfeti: A Historic Turkish Town That's Partially Submerged

Partially submerged due to a dam project, the town of Halfeti in southeastern Turkey is a truly stunning sight. Member of the Cittaslow movement, the remnants of the old town can still be seen beneath the translucent waters. Find out more here.

Much of Halfeti was submerged under water due to the Birecik Dam, which flooded the area in the 1990s and so a new town was subsequently built about 15 kilometers away. As such, the settlement is divided into New and Old Halfeti. The remnants of Old Halfeti, sunken into the river, have attracted visitors who marvel at the sight that could be compared to an underwater museum. The town’s history goes back to 855 BC when the Assyrian King Shalmaneser II first established the settlement. During the Roman era, a settlement under the name of Akamai thrived, later changing to Koyla.

After the Roman period, the town witnessed many civilizations including the Sassanians, Arabs, Umayyads and Abbasids who ruled over the area from the 6th until the 8th centuries AD. By the 11th century the Seljuks took over Halfeti and by the 16th century it became part of the Ottoman Empire. In 2013, the town was granted membership of the Cittaslow movement, which, inspired by the slow movement, aims to improve the quality and enjoyment of life through slowing down the pace and focusing on quality rather than quantity. The movement chooses small towns (with a population under 50 thousand) and supports local governments in the development and protection of traditions, cuisine, and nature.

Apart from its historical and architectural value, the town is also famous for its black roses. These extremely rare roses appear in small numbers in the summer and only in Halfeti due to the area’s unique soil conditions and the groundwater’s pH levels derived from the Euphrates River. The roses first appear dark red in the spring but turn black when the summer arrives and are now almost extinct due to the submergence of old Halfeti.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.