In the Shadow of Noah

Mustafa Bilge Satkın

This exhibition explores the environmental degradation and forced lifestyle changes endured by communities in northeastern and southeastern Turkey as a result of large-scale dam construction. In the Tigris and Çoruh Valleys, ancient settlements, sacred sites, and cultural heritage spanning 5,000 to 10,000 years have been submerged beneath rising waters. More than 20,000 people from diverse ethnic backgrounds were displaced, leaving behind fertile agricultural lands and centuries-old traditions of farming and animal husbandry.

The transition from rural life to modern urban environments has disrupted not only livelihoods but also intangible cultural heritage, encompassing local languages, rituals, and customs. At the same time, ecological shifts, altered microclimates, the disappearance of plant and animal species, and reshaped landscapes intensify the challenges faced by displaced communities.

These profound transformations evoke the legend of Noah’s Flood, reimagined here as a man-made deluge. Through the overwhelming presence of water, myth and reality converge, revealing how development and environmental change reshape landscapes, societies, and collective memory.