The photographs in this book are from the "Mound"-Silent Villages exhibition first shown in the Pg Art Gallery in Istanbul in January 2005.



Ali Kabas says:



"Mound is the oldest settlement unit, a prehistoric village. Turkey is one of the richest countries in mounds; there are around 3000 mounds documented in the country. Mounds hold traces and memories of the people settled in Anatolia throughout the ages. In short, mounds are records of our past extending 10,000 years and cultural storages, reasons for making them very important.



I joined for a period The Archaeological Settlements of Turkey - TAY Project team who makes an inventory of archaeological settlements in Turkey starting with prehistoric ages and establishes damages. My work which started as documenting mounds photographically from the air and ground took shape as a study in art with the different vibrations coming from the mounds. My priorities and approach to mounds, hence my view of the past changed altogether and this exhibition work emerged.



I perceived the mounds as living beings. Life continues around them and even on some of them for hundreds of years. Each one stands having reached its own personality affected by nature and man. Unfortunately a great majority is subjected to damage for many reasons, being vanished and erased from history. I hope these small hills, old villages which we usually don’t even notice when passing near them receive the respect and protection they deserve for future generations."



What is a Mound?



In prehistoric times, thousands of years ago, men lived in villages consisting of houses made of mud brick, wood and stone. From time to time they were forced to leave their villages, which were generally located in plains and plateaus next to running water, because of fire, flooding, earthquakes and war. Generations later, new villages and towns were built over the remains. This circle of events continued for a long time and layers of construction remains belonging to different periods formed the mounds.



21 images.