13.02.2026 17:33
In the Kızık neighborhood, which was relocated 37 years ago due to landslide risk at the foothills of Mount Erciyes in the Develi district of Kayseri, a historical pool from the Roman period has been plundered by treasure hunters. Ramazan Şengül, who served as the headman of the neighborhood for 5 years, said, "This pool is a thousand-year-old pool. Our ancestors couldn't even comprehend it. In our old settlement village, this pool was used for watering animals because there was no water in the village."
The Kızık Neighborhood, located at the foot of Mount Erciyes in the Develi district of Kayseri, was relocated 2 kilometers into the plain due to landslide risk in 1989.
THE THOUSAND-YEAR-OLD 'ROMAN POOL' LOOTED BY TREASURE HUNTERS After the relocation of the neighborhood, the historical pool built during the Roman Period, which is filled with snow and rainwater from Mount Erciyes, was looted by treasure hunters. The walls and water stones of the pool were damaged. The local people want the 'Roman pool' to be restored and brought back to tourism, and they also want security measures in the area to be increased.
"IT WAS USED FOR ANIMAL WATERING PURPOSES" Ramazan Şengül, who served as the muhtar (village head) in the old settlement for 5 years, said, "We were moved to the new settlement in 1989 due to landslide risk. There was also a road problem because the houses were stacked on top of each other. The decision to relocate was made due to the landslide risk."
Şengül stated, "This pool is a thousand-year-old pool. We cannot comprehend it. Even our ancestors could not understand it. In our old village, this pool was used for watering animals because there was no water in the village. The water here came from Mount Erciyes. This way, the pool would fill up, and the villagers would water their animals and gardens from here. We want this place to be restored and brought back to tourism. We used to meet our needs from this pool due to the water shortage. After our village was moved to the new settlement, some treasure hunters are digging around here. We want the authorities to repair this place and bring it back to serve the local people," he expressed.
"THERE ARE NO OTHER REMAINS FROM THE ROMAN PERIOD" Local resident Ramazan Çelik said, "The place where this pool is located is the old settlement. A decision was made to relocate our village in 1985 due to landslide. In 1989, we completely left the old settlement and moved to the new area. Since this place has been abandoned, treasure hunters have looted this pool from the Roman Period. It is a pool with a depth of 7-8 meters and a width of 20-25 meters. Apart from this pool, no other structure from the Roman Period has been found in our village. We want the authorities to clean this pool and restore it so that it can be brought back to our village. Since our village also has a water shortage, people can use this pool in the summer months," he said.