Yakutiye Medrese, Erzurum
Kars, standing at an altitude
of 1,750 ms, has played an important role in
Turkish history and was at the center of
the Turkish-Russian War. The Russian legacy can
still be seen in much of the town's
architecture. The lower city unfolds at the foot
of an impressive 12th century Seljuk fortress.
Palandoken, Erzurum
Ani
ruins, Kars
Nearby, the Havariler Museum (the 10th century
Church of the Apostles) reveals a curious
mixture of architectural influences. Bas-reliefs
representing the 12 apostles, in rather stiff
and awkward poses, ring the exterior drum of the
dome. The Archaeological Museum houses beautiful
wood carvings, an excellent collection of coins
found in the surrounding region, as well as many
ethnographic items relating to eastern Turkey.
Kars is particularly known for
its distinctive kilims and carpets, and it
retains a strong heritage of folk dancing.
Visitors always seem to enjoy this traditional
entertainment. On the mountain pastures,
villagers produce excellent Kasar cheese and
delicious honey.
Seytan Castle
About 42 km east of the city on the ancient
Silk Road, the medieval city of
Ani (Ocakli) lies mostly in ruins. Impressive
fortified walls still encircle the ruins of
numerous churches, mosques and caravanserais.
Sarikamis (53 km southwest of Kars) is a ski
center with resort hotels set in a scenic pine
forest. The Kur river divides Ardahan and
separates the ancient part on one side and the
new city on the other. A 16th century castle
built by Sultan Selim the Grim, one of the most
stately citadels in Turkey with 14 towers and a
span of 745 meters, stands in the old part of
the city. To the north of Ardahan via Posof
lies the Turkgozu border gate which is now
open for travel through the Republic of Georgia.
Ishak Pasa
Cildir takes its name from the nearby lake which
lies at an altitude of 1,965 meters. The scenic
area around the lake
provides a habitat for a fascinating variety of
birds. In the lake, the manmade Akcakale Island
was reputedly constructed with the labor of
thousands; a temple with Urartian inscriptions
remains. Seytan (Devil's) Castle is near
Cildir. The city of Igdir stands on a large,
fertile plain where fruit and, unusual for this
geographical region, cotton grow. The Bible
relates that when the flood waters receded, Noah
and his family descended from Mount Agri
(Ararat) toward the fertile Igdir plain. From
here, their progeny settled to the south and
west along the Firat (Euphrates) and Dicle
(Tigris) Rivers, establishing the second
generation of mankind. From this plain, you have
the best view of Mount Agri. Monuments to visit
near the city include Urartian rock monuments, a
13th century Seljuk caravanserai and the
Karakale (Black Castle). In Karakoyun
Village, on the road between Igdir and
Aralik, you should stop at the impressive 15th
century cemeteries with Karakoyun (ram and ewe)
monumental tombstones.
Ishak Pasa Palaca
Agri,
a
provincial capital on a 1,650 m high plateau,
takes its name from the mountain which looms
over it. The pleasant Balik (Fish) Lake to the
northeast, not surprisingly, has plenty of fish
restaurants serving local delicacies. Thermal
springs bubble up all over the area. For those
who want a hardy outdoor event, visit the
Bubi Ski Center, 20 km southwest of Agri,
for a few days of snow sport.
Mount Ararat (Agri)
Do not miss the spectacular site of the Ishak
Pasa a Palace, only 6 km from Dogubayazit. Ishak
Pasa, Ottoman governor of the province,
constructed the palace in the 17th century with
a mixture of architectural styles. Nearby you
can see a bas-relief of an Urartian king, and a
rock tomb from the ninth century B.C Near
Dogubayazit, Turkey's most scenic natural
monument, Mount Agri rises to a height of
5,137 m. To see the place where it is believed
that Noah's Ark came aground, go to Uzengili
village, 25 km east of Dogubayazit. Be sure to
try the local dessert, asure (Noah's Pudding),
believed to have first been made by Noah's wife
from the last bits of food on the ark.
FROM MALATYA
TO HAKKARI
The most direct routs to this region is the
Central Anatolian Highway that passes through
Kayseri, Malatya, Demo, Bingol, Mus, Van and on
to Iran, via Hakkari.
Countryside Scene Scenic
view, Firat River
Malatya is a busy city situated on a fertile
plain at the foot of the Anti-Taurus Mountains.
The archaeology museum houses new finds from the
Lower Firat region that date from the Neolithic
and Chalcolithic ages. Next to the city museum,
you can shop in the bazaar where an entire
passageway of shops is devoted to copper wares.
In Malatya, the apricot growing center of
Turkey, it is possible to sample many delicious
apricot confections as well as other fresh and
dried fruit. The two small towns which pre-date
the establishment of present day Malatya are
easy expeditions. Aslantepe, 7 km away,
was the capital of a Hittite state in the first
millennium B.C., and Battalgazi, 9 km
away, was once the ancient city of Melitene.
At the latter, stand the ruins of a
Byzantine enclosure, and in the center of town,
the 13th century Ulu Mosque is an excellent
example of Seljuk architecture.
Elazig, founded in the 19th
century, lies on a plain in the shadow of a
mountain crowned with the ancient city of
Harput's citadel. The destruction from
several earthquakes and the relatively recent
construction of Elazig, has led to most of
Harput's population deserting it for the modern
city. Several Seljuk mosques remain, however,
which are worth visiting. The Keban and Karakaya
Dams on the Firat river have created huge
artificial lakes, dramatically altering the
surrounding environment. Twenty-five km south of
Elazig, the lovely and tranquil Hazar Lake
beckons.
Izzet Pasa Mosque, Elazig
High mountains encircle Tunceli, 133 km north of
Elazig, on the Elazig-Erzurum road. On the way,
stop off to see the fortress of Pertek, built in
the Middle Ages and still in good condition
today. In the Munzur Valley National Park
near Ovacik, 60 km northwest of Tunceli, you
can fish in rushing, trout-filled streams while
enjoying the amazing scenery.
Bingol means "a thousand
lakes": a name given to the town because of the
many glacier lakes in the surrounding mountains.
In the city stand the remains of a medieval
fortress Bingol-Yolcati (Kurucadag) Ski Center
is 20 km to the west.
Tatvan Harbor
Mug, a subdistrict of Korkut
and a little out of the way for most tourist
routes, was founded in the 6th century. Many of
the city's monuments, including the remains of a
citadel and the Aslanhane Caravanserai, are in
poor condition. The Seljuk mosques of Alaeddin
Pap and Haci Seref, however, are certainly worth
a detour. Korkut is famous for its kilim weaving
and Siirt blankets; it's definitely worth
seeing.
Bitlis Folkloric Dancing
The lively city of Bitlis, an important center
of tobacco production, occupies the middle of a
green oasis. The city's architecture uses the
local dark stone, and the masonry monuments
include the Serefhan Medrese, the 12th century
Ulu Mosque, the Seljuk Gokmeydani Mosque and the
Ottoman Serefiye Mosque. Bitlis Ski Center
is close to the town's center. From Tatvan
on the western shore of Lake Van, you can take a
passenger train and ferry across the water to
Van. Nemrut Dagi (Mount Nemrut) makes a
challenging climb. In its center a deep crater
lake bubbles with volcanic hot springs.
The ruins of Ahlat, 44 km north of Tatvan
on the western shore Lake Van, once an important
city of Turkish art and culture, are scattered
today among more recent constructions. In the
12th century this city was the capital of the
Turkish state that ruled the Van Basin. Several
mausoleums, notably the Ulu Kumbet, the Bayindir
Kumbet, the Hasan Pasa Kumbet, and the Cifte
Kumbets offer a comprehensive overview of Seljuk
funerary architecture and decoration. In the
Seljuk cemetery are beautifully inscribed
monumental tombstones from the 12th century. The
Turkish Art Museum houses a collection of
ceramics, ancient coins and jewelry. Modern
Ahlat provides lakeside tourist accomodations,
beach facilities and restaurants.
Ahlat Mausoleum
Hasan
Padisah Mausoleum, Ahlat
As you drive around the lake you come to
Adilcevaz, where the Ulu Mosque, built of
the region's dark volcanic stone, stands on the
lake shore. Ten km west of Adilcevaz is Kef
Castle, and the nearby Urartian temple of
Haldi dates from the 9 th century B.C. Artifacts
from this site can been seen in the Museum of
Anatolian Civilizations in Ankara. The Adilcevaz
High School garden displays some of the column
bases.
Van,
the ancient Urartian capital of Tuspa, tempts
visitors to its 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 and the old parts of 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 Pasa 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 white fur Van
cat, a protected animal, is distinguished by one
blue and one green eye.
Ancient Van
At Van Iskelesi (Van Harbor), hospitable
tea gardens and restaurants invite you for a
break. Edremit, a holiday resort center
14 km to the southwest, has good beaches,
swimming and camping. In the same direction is
Gevras, where you can visit a Seljuk
cemetery with many decorated headstones and the
lovely Halime Hatun Mausoleum.
Muradiye Waterfall, Van
Lake Van,
the largest lake in Turkey and at an
altitude of 1,720 m, is ringed by beautiful
mountains:
Mount Suphan (4,058 m) on the
northwest side and the Ihtiyar Sahap
Mountains to the south. You can circle the
lake, visiting several ancient Urartian
sites as well as others that represent the
legacy of the 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 km 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 Testament
scenes and figures. After sightseeing,
swimmers and picnickers can enjoy themselves
around the island's almond groves. If you
have time, visit Carpanak Island to enjoy
its landscape and to wander around the
12th-century church, now a museum.
Akdamar Island
Cavustepe, 35 km from Van
on the Hakkari road, is an important
Urartian citadel. Excavated in 1970, today
you can see temples, a palace, sacrificial
altar and inscriptions. On the pastoral,
winding road to Hakkari, the Zernek Dam Lake
offers a resting spot on the way to Hosap,
60 km from Van, where a 17th century
fairytale castle rises above a small hill.
Although the inside is badly damaged, the
exterior walls, crenellations and turrets
are well- preserved.
Urartian cuneiform inscriptions, Van
Archeology Museum
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 Clio-Sat
Mountains and the Zap Valley. A medieval
fortress dominates the city, which is at an
altitude of 1,700 m.
Van kilim motifs