Akdamar island in Lake Van
Famous Van Cat
Muradiye Waterfalls
Urartu Hieroglyphics |
Van,
the ancient Urartian capital of Tuspa, tempts visitors toits location on
the eastern shore of the lake. This remote but important city is set in
a verdant oasis at the foot of a rocky peak. An imposing 9th-century
B.C. citadel overlooks the new andthe old parts of the town. Steps
carved in the rock lead to the Urartian fortress; halfway up,
inscriptions in cuneiform pay homage to Xerxes. Within the fortress are
several Urartian royal rock tombs. In the old city, the Ulu Mosque,
Husrev Pasha Mosque, Kaya Celebi Mosque, and the Ikiz Kumbets reflect
Seljuk and Ottoman architectural styles. Van's interesting
Archaeological Museum is in the new city, inland from the uninhabited
old district. Still very much part of a traditional lifestyle, the women
of Van produce beautiful kilims woven in blue, red and white patterns.
The exotic Van cat, a protected animal, has thick white fur andone blue
and one green eye.
At Van Iskelesi (Van Harbor), friendly tea gardens and restaurants
invite you for a break. Edremit, a holiday resort center 14 kmto the
southwest, has good beaches, swimming and camping places. In the same
direction is Gevas, where you can visit a Seljuk cemetery with many
decorated headstones and the lovely Halime Hatun Mausoleum.
Lake Van, the largest lake in Turkey and at an altitude of 1720 meters,
is ringed by beautiful mountains: Mount Suphan (4058 meters) on the
northwest side and the Ihtiyar Sahap Mountainst o the south. You can
circle the lake, visiting several ancient Urartian sites as well as
others that represent the legacy ofthe various peoples who have
inhabited the area. Some of the Islands in Lake Van have monasteries and
churches built on them; no doubt the remote location offered seclusion
to the resident religious communities. Forty-one kilometers southwest of
Van, Akdamar Island ( a half-hour sail from shore) is the most important
of these. On the island stands the 10th- century Church of the Holy
Cross, now a museum, whose stone outer walls are richly carved with Old
Testaments cenes and figures. After sight seeing, swimmers and
picnickers can enjoy themselves around the Island's almond groves. If
you have time, visit Carpanak Island to enjoy its landscape and towander
around the 12th-century church, which has now been convertedinto a
museum. |
Cavustepe, 35 km from Van on the Hakkari road, is an important Urartian
citadel. Excavated in 1970, today you can see temples, a palace, a
sacrificial altar and inscriptions. On the pastoral, winding road to
Hakkari, the Zernek Dam Lake offers itself asa resting spot on the way
to Hosap, 60 km from Van, where a 17thcentury rises abovea small hill.
Although the inside is badly damaged, the exterior walls, crenellations
and turrets are well preserved.
Among the interesting geographical features around Lake Van, the
Muradiye Waterfalls, 88 km north of Van, with a peaceful tea garden and
restaurants, and Gahnispi-Beyaz Cesme Falls, 60 km south of Van, are
worth visiting.
The road to remote Hakkari, 203 km southeast of Van, takes you through
some of Turkey's most magnificent scenery: the Cilo_Sat Mountains and
the Zap Valley. A medieval fortress dominates the city, which is at an
altitudeof 1700 meters. |
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Reliefs, Akdamar Island
Museum |
Mt. Cudi |
Lochal Kilim |
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