Van was once the center of the Kingdom of Urartu; it was known as Tushpa. It is located on the eastern shore of Lake Van in eastern Turkey. It became the center of an Armenian kingdom founded by Tigranes the Great in the first century B.C. There is a great citadel there which one should visit.
Nearby, in Gevaş which is about 35 kilometers southwest of Van, one can hire a boat to the little island of Ahtamar where there are Impressive ruins of a tenth century Armenian church. The outside walls of the church are decorated with designs and bas-reliefs of biblical scenes such as Adam and Eve, David and Goliath, and Jonah. A number of other similar Christian churches are in this area.
Inscription of Xerxes the Great on the cliffs below Van castle.
Van,
Find out about Armenian culture previously and you'll enjoy much more this lovely place
This is almost the same review I have for the church on the island, which is not that big of a deal as churches go, but the setting is fantastic. So here's what I said for the review of the church: The tourist industry in Van is not as well organized as in other parts of Turkey due to low…
This place is special. The church is nicely conserved, unfortunately this annot be said from the monastery, wich is restored in a hurrendous way. Besides that, the place is awsome! Outside the season it is a little bit expensive: if there are no other tourists or if you do not want to wait you have to pay for a boat…
Amazing views – make sure to sit on a window seat when arriving by plane and have your camera prepared
The lake is really blue, fizzes due to the soda content and has the mountain backdrop plus the serenely peaceful (and beautiful) Akdamar Island in the lake.
you should go there when you are in Van it is really good to see it , but i said it is neglected , they should take care of that place and Van lake to be one of touristic places
The island is a short boat ride from a small dock perhaps 15 miles south of the city of Van. The views of cerulean Lake Van are wonderful.
The church itself is in excellent and condition and is still used on occasion. It is a very special place to Armenians. The bas relief carvings on the exterior are noteworthy.
If…
This church (built when the area was part of mediaeval Armenia) is on an island in the middle of Lake Van. You can get there by getting a mini bus from Van to Givas. The bus stop is in a back street and VERY HARD TO FIND. Keep asking. From Givas a second bus takes you to AKDAMAR iskele (or…
Akdamar Island is home to a beautiful Armenian church, the Church of the Holy Cross which was built in the early 900s. The church has since been restored and is glorious to behold. The exterior is covered with bas-reliefs depicting scenes from the Bible, saints, animals and beautiful designs. The interior boasts splendid frescoes. To get to the island you…
The tourist industry in Van is not as well organized as in other parts of Turkey due to low numbers of visitors. A good example is the ferry to Akdamar Island. The ride is priced strictly per boat at the maximum of 15 passengers, so if you are the only one, you have to foot the whole bill of 150liras,…