Friday 15 October 2010

Wild rivers don’t run free anymore



Not only do we all need water, most of us even like it: to quench one’s thirst or just to relax and feel the way water is hugging your body. Some prefer a bathtub filled with Evian others would just dip in the next natural water. No matter which one is your choice, having a water source is a fundamental requirement for all human habitats.

When looking at the map of Turkey, you will find the land criss-crossed by rivers, with huge lakes sitting here and there. Not so surprising, that this land gave home to early human settlements and ancient civilisations. The rivers Euphrates (Fırat) and Tigris (Dicle) define Mesopotamia, the cradle of civilisation. The once winding and untamed rivers supplied vital water for the crop and provided the settings for Gilgamesh’ story.