What was happening at Belkıs/Zeugma? Was this ancient city newly discovered? Didn't anyone realize earlier that the dam would be built? What would happen to the mosaics and other works being uncovered at the site? Was there time to save them? Why had everything been left to the last minute? Could the time remaining be extended? Were the villas and the whole site to be submerged? Was Belkıs alone in danger or were we faced with the complete loss of a water basin in ecological terms? Questions like these were repeated over and over again in the daily press.

Arkeoloji ve Sanat yayınları'nın Tofaş'ın katkılarıyla gerçekleştirdiği bu kitap; bölgede uzun yıllar çalışmalar yapan Nezih Başgelen ve Rıfat Ergeç tarafından başta Belkıs/Zeugma antik kentinde bugüne kadar gün ışığına çıkarılan eserler ile Birecik gölü havzasında sular altında kalan kültürel ve doğal değerleri tanımak yitip gidenleri göstermek ve bir duyarlılık sağlamak üzere hazırlanmıştır.