It has long been known that Gaziantep is home to numerous limestone-excavated underground structures. Some of the subterranean spaces are now yarn ateliers, while others were originally used as cisterns or storage areas. Despite being a big and intricate system, underground water structures are another crucial aspect of our survey. This water supply system consists of a network of canals cut into
... [Show full abstract] limestone rock called "livas" in the area. It is similar with the "qanat" or "karez" system, which was invented in Persia between 2000 and 3000 years ago and is still in use in many countries today. On the other hand, another underground structure built for public usage and locally known as "qastel" is a unique structure of Ga-ziantep. With their washing places, pools, and toilets, six remaining "qastels" are the only examples of public underground water usage. As OBRUK Cave Research Group, we started the "Gaziantep Underground Structures Inventory Project", in 2012. This project involves researching, surveying, mapping, and documenting all the underground and rock-cut structures found in Kayseri province. It is carried out in accordance with a triple protocol with the Foundation for the Protection and Promotion of the Environment and Cultural Heritage (ÇEKÜL) and Kayseri Metropolitan Municipality. These underground water structures were explored and surveyed within the scope of this project. In this article, the research of one of these six qastels, Ahmet Çelebi Qastel, and the problems in the restoration process are explained.
