The summer heat of Diyarbakır makes people’s faces slowly burn. We know that it seems 33 degrees, but the temperature that affects the human body is not less than 38 degrees.
Because of this heat in the summer months, the people of Diyarbakır go in front of Sur’s walls. The children in Sur also go to the Anzele fountain.
When you go from Du Dere to Mardin Gate, you are welcomed by the pleasant sounds of children in a park near the İskenderpaşa neighborhood in Sur.
If you follow these pleasant sounds and go to the other side of the street, you will come across a small pool where dozens of children are swimming.
Like every summer, the children have also begun fun in Anzele. The closer we get to the water of Anzele, the louder the noise of the children.
Some of the children with their clothes on, while others are clothesless and almost jump into the water.
When we arrive at the pool, the children gather around us and they want to show me how they swim. They are eager to have their photo taken.
10-year-old Ramazan is one of these children. He came with his father from Alay to the Sur district to go into the water of Anzele.
Every summer we come to Anzele. I like the water in Anzele very much. The water here is nicer than in the swimming pools. We also meet our friends here. This place is more beautiful.
Ramazan
Not only the children in Sur but also children from around the city came to this place.
Their parents sit by the fountain and watch their children having fun. I stayed with them for a while.
A man about 40 years old, is eagerly calling for his son.
“Ahmed, please come and change your clothes, Ahmed!”
Ahmed had fallen into the water with his clothes on, he got wet and wet. He brought his father to Anzele by force.
Ahmad’s father is complaining. He spends his off days there under the heat of Diyarbakir to please his son.
Today is my day off. My son said let’s go to Anzele. For this water, we came from Huzurevleri to here. All of them for our children’s happiness.
Ahmad’s father
Water, which is now a place of joy and happiness for children, has become the topic and source of folk songs and legends.
Anzele used to supply drinking water to Diyarbakır a long time ago. According to legends and stories, like Sanliurfa Fish Lake, fish used to swim in Anzele and were considered sacred.
Evliya Çelebi also mentioned Anzele in his Seyahatname. Çelebi called Anzele holy water, saying, “This water is healing. This fish water is also the water of immortality, whoever enters the water and drinks its water for forty days will be healthy.”
This fountain has a history of two thousand years. It’s real name is Ayn-ı Zelal, in time it is called Anzele.
According to pieces of information, until the 1950s, Anzele was one of the city’s three important water sources.
Formerly, this water travels around the neighborhood of Deriye Merdin, and passes through the place where animal skins are made (Dabaxaneye). The name of that water is “Heram”.
In 1978, concrete was poured over the well and the well was disturbed. After 36 years, in 2014, with the efforts of the Municipality of Mezîn, Diyarbakır, the well was opened and its fertile water is still flowing.
Anzele is now watering and blooming the historical gardens of Hewsel, becoming a part of the Tigris River.
This news was translated by Yonca Sarsilmaz
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