Mehmet Tilki was born in the town of Tahriye, in the Adana Province but spent much of his childhood in Hasankeyf with his father, who grew up there. He currently lives in the cave that once belonged to his great grandfather with his cat, Charlie. He spends much of his time hunting for pheasants and fishing as well as riding his red scooter around town.

Prof. Abduselam Ulucam has been the archaeological excavation leader in Hasankeyf since 2004. He is an art historian and archaeologist of the Middle Ages and teaches at Selcuk University in Konya, Turkey. He has been involved in numerous conservation and restoration projects throughout the Middle East, Africa, and Asia.

Abdul Vahap Kusen has been mayor of Hasankeyf since 1994. He was born in the town in 1962 and is the father of five.

Murat Cano is a minority rights lawyer in Istanbul. By filing a case with the European Human Rights Court to save Hasankeyf, he hopes that cultural heritage will be considered a fundamental human right.

Ahmet Adeniz was born in a cave in the upper castle of Hasankeyf in 1967. He comes from a family of shepherds and would often spend up to three months in the pastures with the sheep. It was during that time that he studied Hasankeyf history which enables him to be a tour guide now. He is a father of four.

Zeynep Ahunbay is a professor of restoration architecture at Istanbul Technical University. She has published numerous books on the conservation of cultural heritage. Her best-known works are the restoration of Zeyrek Mosque and Istanbul’s city walls. In addition to rescue work she is doing in Hasankeyf, she is working on the famed Hagia Sophia in Istanbul.

Yunus Bayraktar is the project coordinator of the Ilisu dam and hydro-electric power plant project. He works for Nurol Corporation in Ankara, Turkey.