Bitlis Metamorfit Kuanda Urartu Medeniyetine Ait Demir letmecilii: Bahesaray ve

Balaban ( Van ) rnei

The Urartu Civilization Era Iron Mining in Bitlis Metamorphics Belt,: Bahesaray and
Balaban ( Van ) Example

Sadk ENER1, Muzaffer ENOL2, Ali Rza OLAKOLU2, Emrah, ENER2

1
MTA- Dou Anadolu Blge Mdrl-Van (seners65@ hotmail.com)
2
Yznc Yl niversitesi Mhendislik-Mimarlk Fakltesi Jeoloji Mhendislii Blm

Bu almann amac Bitlis Metamorfit Kuanda yeralan Bahesaray ve Balaban (Van) demir yataklar
ve iletmelerinin jeoarkeolojik adan incelenmesidir. Maden oca ve iletmecilii Bitlis Masifi olarak
bilinen elipsoid yerleimli metamorfik birliin dou kesiminde yer almaktadr. Bu metamorfik birlik
ekirdek - rt olarak Alt metamorfitler st metamorfitler kaya dizilimi halinde iki ana birlikten
oluur. Bu birlikler asal uyumsuzlukla birbirlerinden ayrlmlardr (engn 1984). Alt metamorfitleri
oluturan kaya dizilimleri, amfibolit, paragnays/ist, biyotitli metagranit, pegmatit, kuvarsl feldispatik
gnays ve leptinitleri iermektedir. st metamorfitleri oluturan kaya dizilimleri ise, kuvarsit, kuvars-
istler, kloritli kuvars-ist, kloritoidli mermerler, klorit ist, mikal istler, fillit, kalkist, mermer ve
dolomitik mermerlerden oluur. letilmi demir yataklar Bitlis Masifine ait yeilist fasiyesinde
metamorfizma geirmi st Metamorfitlere ait meta karbonatl kayalara bal olarak bulunmaktadr.

M.. 9. - 6. yzyllarda Dou Anadolu, Trans Kafkasya ve kuzeybat ran gibi geni bir alanda egemen
olan Urartu Krall, Anadolu ve eski n Asya Dnyasnn en byk madenci toplumuydu. Eski ada
Van Gl havzasnda birok maden oca ilk olarak Urartu krall dneminde iletildii saptanmtr.
Bitlis metamorfit kuanda Van ili evresinde Urartu dneminde iletilmi en nemli yataklar Balaban ve
Bahesaray Prnee demir iletmeleridir. Bu iki demir iletmeleri o tarihlerde Anadolu ve Dnyann en
byk ve en nemli demir iletmeleri durumundadr (Belli, 1992). Balaban demir ergitme merkezi Tupa
(Van Kalesi) 59 km batsnda Van-Tatvan karayolu zerinde bulunmaktadr. Balabanda Urartu Krallna
ait demir ergitme merkezi Maara Tepe iletmeleri olarak bilinir. Burada iki adet demir galerisi
mevcuttur. Galeriler dikey olarak almtr. Cevher mineralleri hematit ve speklarittir. Galerilerden
karlan cevher en yakn derenin kenarnda ergitilmitir. Maara Tepenin dousunda Pero tarlas olarak
adlandrlan kk Tepenin zerinde bulunan keramik paralarnn tamam Urartu Krallna ait iletme
kalntlardr. Daha gen dnemlere ait keramik paralar bulunmad iin M.. 6 yzyldan sonraki
dnemlerde burada iletme yaplmad anlalmaktadr. Dier ikinci byk iletme Bahesarayda
bulunmaktadr. Buradaki maden ocana ait galeri gnmzde Gvercin Maaralar olarak bilinmektedir.
Buradaki galeri ise yatay olarak almtr. Bahesaray Krmz kpr civarnda eski a halk sylemi ile
Prnee (neeli topluluk) maden iletmelerinden gnmze curuf ynlar ve madenciler iin yaplm
ta duvarl konutlar kalmtr. Cevherlemeler tabanda Alt metamorfitler zerinde kuvarsit, kuvarsitli
mermer ardalanmas, fillit ve metakarbonat grubu kayalar yer almaktadr. Bahesaraydaki
cevherlemenin ana mineralini speklarit oluturur. Limonit, hematit, pirit az miktarda gzlenmitir. Gang
minerallerini ise kalsit ve kuvars oluturmaktadr. Bu iletmeler Tupa ve Rusahinili (Toprak Kale) ve
Sardurihinili (avu Tepe) iin ok byk nem tam olmaldr. karlan cevherleri ergitmek iin o
dnemdeki ormanlardan yararlanlmtr. Bahesaray aynn kysna tanm olan cevherler buradaki
ocaklarda odun yaklarak ergitilmitir.

Grek mitolojisindeki Halibs szc elik anlamna gelmekte ve Urartu demirciliini sembolize
etmektedir. letmelerdeki bulunan fleler drtgen kesitlidir. Bulunan drtgen keramik flelerin
benzerlerine Anadolunun baka yrelerinde rastlanmad bilinmektedir (Belli, 1991). 9-22 cm
uzunluunda bulunan flelerin gerek uzunluklar daha uzun olmaldr. fleler el yapm olup yzey
genilii 8 cm dir. Orta ksmndan hava boluu gemekte ve hava kanallarnn ap 3-5 cm arasnda
deimektedir. Bulunan keramiklerin u ksmlarnn ergitme srasnda yksek scaklk nedeniyle ksmen
ergidii grlmtr. Sonu olarak Balaban ve Bahesaray demir iletmeleri Urartu dnemine ait bilinen
en eski demir iletmeciliidir. letme teknii olarak da ak iletme ve galeri iletmecilii ynteminin o
dnemlerde de kullanld anlalmaktadr.
Anahtar Kelime: Urartu, Van, Bahesaray, Balaban, Demir

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to investigate iron ore deposits located in Bahesaray and Balaban (Van),
which are located in the Bitlis Metamorphic Belt and have been operated during the Urartian times, and
to investigate mining operations of the time in terms of Geo-archeology. Mining operations took place in
the eastern parts of metamorphic ellipsoid unit known as the Bitlis Massive. This metamorphic unit has
two sub units: as Core-cover and the lower metamorphics-upper metamorphics. These units are
separated from each other by an angular disconformities (Sengn, 1993). The lower metamorphics consit
of amphibolite, pragnay/shist, metagranite with biotite, pegmatite, feldspatic gnice with quartzite, and
leptinites. The upper metamorphites consist of quartzite, quartz-shists, quartz-shists with chlorite,
marbles with clorides, clorite schists, mica schists, fillite, calcshists, marble, and dolomite-marbles. The
mined iron is foud to be associated with meta carbonated rocks of upper metamorphites that
metamorphosed in the green-schist facies of Bitlis Massive.

Urartians, who were effective kingdoms in a wide region including Eastern Anatolia, Tans-Caucasses and
North Eastern Iran during 9 AD -6 AD, are known to be a skilled mining society of ancient Asia. It has
been determined that a number of mining operations were carried out around the Lake Van by Urartians.
Balaban-Prnee and Bahesaray iron mines in the Van area are the most significant mines operated by
Urartians in the region. These two mines were among the most important iron mines (Belli, 1992) of their
times. The Balaban iron smelting center is located 92 km west of the Urartian Tusba (Citadel of Van) and
is on the Van-Tatvan State Highway. In Balaban, the smelting centre is known as the Magara Tepe
Operations. There are two mining tunnels in Maara Tepe which are excavated vertically to each other.
The ore consists of hematite and specularite. The ore is melted at the closest stream valley to the mine. All
of the ceramic pieces found on the east side of the area known as the Pero Field are remnants of the
Urartu Operations. It is believed that there were no mining operations after 6AD, because no pieces
belonging to younger age have been found in the area. The second large operation is located in
Bahesaray. Today, the ancient mining tunnel is locally known as Guvercin Inns (Peagent Inns). The
single tunnel is excavated horizontally. Slag piles and ruins of stone miners houses are what is left today
from the old prnee (happy-lively) mining operations located in Bahesaray-Krmzkpr. Quartzite,
alternate quartzite and marble formations, fillites and metacarbonates are contained in the upper
metamorphites. The main ore is sphelarite. Limonite, hematite, and pyrite, are observed as minor
minerals. Gang minerals consist of calcite and quartz. This mining operation must have had significant
importance for Rusahinili (Toprakkale) and Sardurihinili (avutepe) Urartian kingdoms. The ores were
smelted using forests of the time. The ore transported to the shores of the Bahesaray River and was
smelted there.

In the Grek mithodology, Halibs mean steel and symbolizes Urartian iron workmanship. The ventilators
found in the operations have a rectangular cross-section. Rectangular-shaped ancient ventilators have
not been found elsewhere in Anatolia (Belli, 1991). The ventilators, as found are 3-5 cm in long, but they
must have been longer as originals. They are man-made and have 8cm of surface width. The air channel
passes through the middle and the diameter of the air channels is about 3-5 cm. The ceramics found
indicate that their front ends are melted during smelting operation due to high temperature. In
conclusion, the iron mine operations of Balaban and Bahesaray are the oldest known iron ore mining
operations belonging to the Urartion period. The tunneling and open-pit mine operations were in use as
the mining techniques at that time as well.

Key words: Urartians, Van, Bahesaray, Balaban, Iron

Deinilen Belgeler

engn, M., 1984. Bitlis Masifi Tatvan Gneyinin Jeolojik Petrografik ncelenmesi H..Fen Bilimleri Doktora tezi.

Belli, O., 1991. Ore Deposits end Mininig in Eastern Anatolia in the Urarturian Period: Silver, cupper and
Iron,Urartu A Metalworking Center in the first Milenyum B.C.E (ed.R.Merhav) Jerusalem, 44-49.

Belli, O., 1992. Eski a ve Orta ada Dou Anadolu Blgesinde Bulunan nemli Bronz Atlyeleri. Semavi Eyice
Armaan,stanbul yazlar (ed.H.Abbasolu-O.Belli),Trkiye Turing ve Otomobil Kurumu stanbul, 79-96.