Geez, I hope that if they do go ahead with the dam, that last part of the story will be true and that the alluvial silt will preserve the city for one day when maybe the dam is removed.
I think economic development is the best hope for Turkey to finally pull out of the shadow of Islamism, so it's hard for me to dismiss the dam completely. I went there as an exchange student when I was in High School so I have a soft spot for the country and people. If only they could guarantee a good local and national income from archaeological tourism! They need to play it up as the new Pompeii or something.
That's a wonderful thought. Certainly very few places in the world are as rich with important archaeological sites as Turkey, which has been the crossroads of empire throughout recorded history because of its crucial location.
Speaking of Roman baths, I was astonished when I took the underground tour at Bath in England a few years ago. Previously I'd thought of it as only the ugly scummy pool visible at the surface. But underground there's a whole world of Roman engineering and inventiveness. Anyone interested in archaeology should certainly take the whole tour when visiting.