OLDEST DOCUMENTED CAVES OF THE WORLD: BIRKLEYN CAVES

Abstract

Birkleyn Caves are in Lice, 25 km north of Diyarbakır, southeastern Turkey. Three of those four caves, which were very near to each other are dry. But the longest and the most important of them, which is known as " Iskender-i Birkleyn " among locals, is a long, travers cave with a branch of Tigris River flowing inside. These caves are probably the most interesting cave system with 3.000 years old Assyrian inscriptions and reliefs engraved on the walls, within their historical importance and the geological formation. When the former stream bed of Birkleyn River, which the caves are named after, is blocked with a subsidence in the prehistoric times, the river opened a new bed to itself in the with physical erosion inside a nummulitic Quaternary limestone at a close distance to the south and the cave in which Birkleyn River, a branch of Tigris is flowing today was formed. The best known one of those caves; " Iskender-i Birkleyn " has a total length of 870 meters and its a traverse cave. This cave was thought to be the spring of Tigris because of its interesting geographical position. Most probably for this reason; Assyrian kings Tiglath-Pileser I and Shalmaneser III had reliefs and inscriptions made here. Likewise, same cave was depicted as the " Tigris Source " in the bronze ornaments at the gates of Balawat City, which is now in Iraq, that were made under Shalmaneser III. Those bronze reliefs, which dates back to 850 BC is displayed in British Museum today and it is most probably the oldest picture in the world that depicts a cave. In this poster session all those caves will be under review geologically and the translations of Assyrian inscriptions on the cave walls are presented in detail.

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OLDEST DOCUMENTED CAVES OF THE WORLD: BIRKLEYN CAVES
Ali Yamaç1
1OBRUK Cave Research Group; Acikhava Apt. 16/7, Nisantasi, Istanbul, Turkey, info@obruk.org
Birkleyn Caves are in Lice, 25 km north of Diyarbakır, southeastern Turkey. Three of those four caves, which were
very near to each other are dry. But the longest and the most important of them, which is known as “Iskender-i
Birkleyn” among locals, is a long, travers cave with a branch of Tigris River flowing inside.
These caves are probably the most interesting cave system with 3.000 years old Assyrian inscriptions and reliefs
engraved on the walls, within their historical importance and the geological formation. When the former stream bed of
Birkleyn River, which the caves are named after, is blocked with a subsidence in the prehistoric times, the river opened
a new bed to itself in the with physical erosion inside a nummulitic Quaternary limestone at a close distance to the south
and the cave in which Birkleyn River, a branch of Tigris is flowing today was formed.
Birkleyn Caves was first examined by Taylor in 1862. After Taylor, Lehmann-Haupt made short studies in the caves
during 1899. After a long silence; Anthony C Waltham visited the region in 1974 and in 1977 members of Speleo Club
de Paris mapped three of these caves. In 2007, Andreas Schachner from German Archaeological Institute began to study
the Birkleyn caves.
The best known one of those caves; “Iskender-i Birkleyn” has a total length of 870 meters and its a traverse cave. This
cave was thought to be the spring of Tigris because of its interesting geographical position. Most probably for this
reason; Assyrian kings Tiglath-Pileser I and Shalmaneser III had reliefs and inscriptions made here. Likewise, same
cave was depicted as the “Tigris Source” in the bronze ornaments at the gates of Balawat City, which is now in Iraq,
that were made under Shalmaneser III. Those bronze reliefs, which dates back to 850 BC is displayed in British
Museum today and it is most probably the oldest picture in the world that depicts a cave.
In this poster session all those caves will be under review geologically and the translations of Assyrian inscriptions on
the cave walls are presented in detail.
1. Introduction
Performative engagements with specific, culturally
significant places were among the primary means of
configuring landscapes in the ancient world. Ancient
states often appropriated symbolic or ritual landscapes
through commemorative ceremonies and building
operations. These commemorative sites became event-
places where state spectacles encountered and merged
with local cult practices. The Early Iron Age inscriptions
and reliefs carved on the cave walls of Birkleyn caves in
Eastern Turkey, known as the ‘Source of Tigris’ in
monuments, present a compelling paradigm for such
spatial practices. Assyrian kings Tiglath-Pileser I (1114–
1076 BC) and Shalmaneser III (858–824 BC) carved
‘images of kingship’ and accompanying royal inscriptions
at this impressive site in a remote region. This important
commemorative event was also represented in detail on
Shalmaneser III’s bronze bands at Tell Balawat, as well as
in his annalistic texts, rearticulating the performance of
the place on public monuments in Assyrian urban
contexts. Those bronze ornaments from the gates of
Balawat - Iraq which were dated 850 BC is in display
British Museum today and most probably the oldest
pictures in the world that depicts a cave.
Photo 1. Balawat door bands, showing sacrifices and
Birkleyn Cave at upper band, right corner.
It is clear that the "Tigris Source" must have ranked high
as a sanctuary not just in local but also in international
esteem. Shalmaneser III deemed a visit to this cave was so
important that in 852 BC he had his army take a detour on
its march back from inner Anatolia to Assyria; he and his
predecessor Tiglatpileser I performed sacrifices at the
"Tigris Source" and both left inscriptions and reliefs at the
site. Moreover, as a holy precinct in open nature, with
unlimited water and shelter from the powers of nature
offered by three caves in addition to the river grotto itself,
the "Tigris Source" would seem uniquely qualified to
serve as a refuge sanctuary.

Figure 1. Location of Birkleyn Caves
2. Caves of Birkleyn in General
2.1. Cave no. 1
As the most important one of the four known caves in the
region and which is also called “Tigris Tunnel”, this cave
is located underneath of the bluff at the south that forms
the westward expansion of Mount Kohra and has a
northeast-southwest direction. The cave has a total length
of 870 meters and the average height is 20-25 meters. At
the entrance of the cave, 4-5 meters over the floor there
are 3 cuneiform scripts. The westernmost one is the
inscription and relief of Tiglath-Pileser. 1,5 meters away
from that inscription there is Shalmaneser III's inscription
and relief, and another inscription of the same king 10
meters away.
The Inscription of Tiglath-Pileser I (1114-1076 BC):
With the supports of my lords, the great gods Ashur,
Samas (and) Adad, I, Tukultī-apil-Ešarra (Tiglath-Pileser
I), the son of Ashur-resh-ishi, the king of Assyria who is
the son of Mutakkil-Nusku, the king of Assyria, the
conqueror of the great sea of Amurru Land
(=Mediterranean Sea) and the great sea of Nairi Land
(=Lake Van), have been to the Nairi Land three times.
The inscription of Shalmaneser III (858-824 BC):
Šulmānu-ašarēdu (Shalmaneser III), great king, strong
king, the king of four realms, the king of Assyria, the king
of all humanity, with the support of his guides, the great
gods Samas and Adad, the mighty one (king) proceeds
with power. They (the gods) gave him (the king) the
mountains from the place the sun rises to the place the sun
sets.
A king that never stops to follow his enemies and like the
hills that flood devastated, strides the impassable rivers
and mountains, a brave, merciless king. Son of Aššur-
nāṣir-apli (=Ashurnasirpal II) who is the son of Tukulti-
Ninurta II, the king of Assyria, the conqueror ruler from
the sea of the land of Nairi (=Lake Van) to the great sea
where the sun sets (=Mediterranean Sea).
I have taken the land of Hatti and all their borders, the
land of Melindu, the land of Daianu, the land of Suhmu,
the city of Arsaskun, the crown city of Urartus, Aramu, the
land of Gilzanu, the land of Hubuskia-(the region) from
the spring of Tigris to the spring of Euphrates, (the
region) from the sea within the borders of Mazamua
(=Caspian Sea) to the sea of the land of Kaldu (=Persian
Gulf) under my feet. I went to Babylon and made a
sacrifice. I went to the land of Kaldu, took their cities
under my rule and accepted their tributes and gifts.
Adda-idri of Damascus and Irhulenu of Hamat revolted
with fifteen cities. I fought with them four times.
The second inscription of Shalmaneser III (858-824 BC):
The great gods Ashur, Bel, Sin, Samas, Adad, Ishtar who
like my kingdom and elevate my name.
Šulmānu-ašarēdu (Shalmaneser III), son of Aššur-nāṣir-
apli (=Ashurnasirpal II) who is the son of Tukulti-
Ninurta II, the king of Assyria, the conqueror ruler from
the sea of the land of Nairi (=Lake Van) to the great sea
where the sun sets (=Mediterranean Sea). I have
conquered the land of Hatti completely. I entered the Enzu
Crossing. I conquered the lands of Suhmu, Daianu (and)
Urartu completely. I went to the land of Gilzanu. I
accepted the tributes of the people of Gilzanu. I went to
the land of Nairi for three times. I wrote my name to the
spring of Tigris.
Figure 2. Map of Birkleyn Caves (after Schachner A, 2004)
2.2. Cave no. 2
This cave lies in the outcrop and has a direction of
northeast-southwest like the others. It has a length of 150
meters, an average width of 25 meters and a height of 20
meters. Its been used from the prehistoric times to the
Medieval era. Besides, both inside and outside the cave,
dense traces of many illegal excavations can be found.
In front of the cave, there is a rock mass resembling a
huge platform. The east side of this natural
conglomeration, at the crossing point of the cave that
ranging putside and the wall, there are two more
inscriptions and another relief that belong to Shalmaneser
III. The contents of this inscription, which dates back to
858-824 BC, are almost the same with the inscriptions of
the same king in the entrance of Cave no. 1.
2.3. Cave no. 3
With a total length of 600 meters, this cave is located in a
distance of 200 meters to the Cave no. 2 and has two
parts. After a large entrance and two large spaces between
small clearences and bluffs that expands to the canyon, the
visitors enter the interior of the cave with a narrow
corridor. The whole cave is covered with stalactites and
stalagmites and with the ceramics that are found
everywhere in the cave suggest that the cave had been

used densely.
2.4. Cave no. 4
Located over the Cave no. 1's entrance, at the bluffs at the
north, this cave consists of two successive spaces. As the
majority of the ceiling of the main chamber, which is
larger compared to the entrance, which had collapsed,
only possible estimation of the original size is a sketchy
one. In the light of the discoveries of archeologists, it is
seen that these two spaces were used for ages and densely
by humans. On the floor of this cave, several terracota
fragments were found mostly belonging Iron Age.
Photo2. Entrance of Cave no 1(Tigris Tunnel)
3. Conclusion
Though its been a politically problematic region of Turkey
for a long time; we believe that culture, history and natural
beauties are the assets of all mankind. In the light of all
the informations above, it is evident that Birkleyn caves
have a great natural and historical importance and those
lonely natural values in a troubled land have to be taken
under protection without wasting any more time.
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