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S E P T E M B E R 26
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This weekend was hectic and unusually crowded. As
you may have read in the previous couple of pages, a group of 18 people has been with us,
all of them TINA members or close friends. They are all interested in our work and
wanted to see firsthand what is our work like. We were lucky, the weather could not
have been better, the sea was as quiet as ever and, despite the problems with our
windlass, we could still take the Virazon over the wrecks and leave her, powerless,
floating without concern. We dove on several wrecks with our guests (Check our VISITORS page). The most interesting dive, a thrill for any person interested in archaeology, is at a little calm bay near Kizilburun. The dive starts in the east point of the bay. 35 meters under the surface lies a 4th-century BC wreck on a rocky slope; many amphoras are scattered on the rocks, most of them broken, but some almost complete. |
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After a short swim towards the west, at a depth of about 25 meters, one can discern, lying on the sand about 10 meters deeper, a mysterious shadow in the shape of a boat, the stern at the upper end and the bow pointing toward deeper water; as soon as one starts to descend and get closer to the wreck one can discern that there is no boat left, but only cargo: marble columns, plaques, a capitol, Byzantine amphoras... the Church Wreck! This wreck was found in our 1994 survey by Ayhan and Tufan who thought at first that is was still a ship, the ship's shape remains so well preserved! | |
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While swimming over the church wreck one can see a huge number of stones approximately 20 meters to the east, but it is not until one comes closer that one realizes that they are millstones, 33 of them forming a most attractive mound of round stones. By now our diving computers tell us that our dive is over so we should start the ascent. | |
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We start ascending over the rocky slope, moving a
bit toward the east for our last visit, to a Byzantine amphora wreck. Probably not
much hull is preserved from this wreck since it landed on the rocks, without sand to
preserve it; most likely ship-worms and other sea creatures took care of it long time
ago. Only some complete amphoras and many broken fragments are visible, as well as
an anchor that stands crown down on the rocks. Our dive is over. Once back on the Virazon, we all talked about the dive. Four wrecks in one dive!! All older than 1000 years! That's something really special. |
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| We later dived again on the I N A Y E T.
She was a steam ship, originally called Biafra, built in 1868 in Liverpool. After
sailing all over the world she was sold to the Ottoman Steam Navigation
Company (ldarei Massousieh) and renamed Inayet in 1893. Inayet served her new owner for
almost ten years. On December 29th, 1902, she ran aground off Kizilburun, a point ten
nautical miles west of Sigacik. Locals report that she was there for some time before she
slid to the bottom to her final resting position. She rests on her starboard side with the stern stretching to the infinity of the deep sea. The dive on it gives you an eerie feeling, although you can still see her complete shape, from bow to stern. She was heavily salvaged in 1974, at times with the brutality of explosives. The bow rests at a depth of 35 meters, just on top of a Byzantine amphora carrier from which few complete amphoras can still be seen; more amphoras must lie beneath the steamship. The deepest part of the Inayet lies at 53 meters. The rising stern with its port holes all covered with brightly colored sponges and sea plants, a paradise for little fish, is a striking sight. Because of the salvage done in 1974, the hull has holes large enough to let a diver go through and enjoy the empty shell of the ship. Nothing is left there, but the feeling of being inside an old sunken ship is more than enough to make the dive exciting. |
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C O N T A C T U S A T v i r a z o n @ d i v e t u r k e y . c o m |
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