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,
On our really long trip from Trabzon to Van in three weeks we visited Akdamar Island. Really nice place to visit and enjoy spare time for relaxing. You can see old Armenian Church and enjoy swimming in the lake.
Cost of ferry boat from the Van lake coast to island and back is 10TL. Ferry goes every half hour from…
The church of the Holy Cross is now of the most amazing Armenian churches. It's set in a wonderful landscape, between azure waters and wild mountains, and bares amazing carvings on the facade and frescos inside. If you are courageous enough, climbing up the hill is a rewarding experience.
Lake Van is a natural wonder set in the middle of a wild and unspoiled environment. Very few tourists come all the way to Van, especially after the earthquake, but Eastern Turkey is a wonder and Lake Van a treat. Be sure to go to Akdamar island to see the Armenian church!
a must see – part of the VAN cultural heritage and Christian/ Armenian past
If you are traveling to city of Van, pls don't hesitate to pay a visit to Akdamar island, by taking a boat it takes less then 20 minutes, you can easily spend 2-3 hours by enjoying the decoration of the Armeninan church,which was recently renovated ,,
Van, Turkey
Van had been destroyed in 1915 by the Ottomans, to prevent the conquering Russian from profiting from it’s existence. The region has a large Kurdish population; the Armenian section of the population, which had nationalist aspirations, was deported by government order and was subsequently massacred during World War. Some ten years later a new city was founded to the East. So no old Van. But there is a Kale, a hill with fortress on it, well worth the visit, and an hours bus ride will bring you to Akdamar, with a splendid Armenian church on an island.
Van Lake
Van Lake (Van Gölü) largest body of water in Turkey and the second largest in the Middle East. The lake is located in the region of eastern Anatolia near the border of Iran. It covers an area of 1,434 square miles (3,713 square km) and is more than 74 miles (119 km) across at its widest point. Known to the ancient Greek geographers as Thospitis Lacus, or Arsissa Lacus, its modern Turkish name, Van Gölü, is derived from Van, or Chauon, the name of the capital of the Urartian kingdom that flourished on the lake’s eastern shore between the 10th and 8th centuries BC. Roughly triangular in shape, the lake lies in an enclosed basin; its brackish waters are unsuitable for either drinking or irrigation. The salt water allows for no animal life save the darekh (related to the European bleak, a small soft-finned river fish of the carp family), a freshwater fish that has adapted to a saline environment.
Lake Van occupies the lowest part of a vast basin bordered by high mountains to the south, by plateaus and mountains to the east, and by a complex of volcanic cones to the west. At some time during the Pleistocene Epoch (10,000, to about 2,000,000 years ago), a lava flow from the Nemrut volcano extended for nearly 37 miles (60 km) across the southwestern end of the basin, blocking westward drainage to the Murat River and thereby transforming the depression into a lake basin without outlet.
Lake Van is divided into two sections; the main body of water is separated from its much shallower northern extension by a narrow passage. Its shores are generally steep and lined with cliffs; the southern shore is extremely sinuous and eroded. The waters are dotted with islands, including Gadir, the largest, in the north; Çarpanak in the east; and Aktamar and Atrek in the south. The main body of the lake to the south is much deeper than its northern section, with the greatest depths exceeding 330 feet (100 m).
Lake Van’s catchment area exceeds 5,790 square miles (15,000 square km); it forms the largest interior basin of Turkey except for that of the central Anatolian region. The lake is fed by rainfall and meltwater as well as by several tributaries, notably the Bendimahi and Zilan rivers, which flow in from the north, and the Karasu and Micinger rivers, which enter the lake from the east. Lake Van experiences a seasonal variation of its water level of about 20 inches (50 cm) per year. It is lowest during the winter months and begins to rise after the spring thaw. With the arrival of additional water from the melted snows of the surrounding mountains, the lake rises to its highest level in July.
The lake has three distinct temperature zones in summer, consisting of an upper layer of warm water, a lower region of cold water, and an intermediate transitional layer. During the winter the surface cools quickly; occasionally the shallow northern sector freezes over. Freezing of the entire lake is retarded by its high salinity. The most abundant salts in the lake are sodium carbonate and sodium sulfate.
A regular passenger boat service plies the lake between the coastal towns; there is a small shipyard at Tug on the southwestern shore.
We agree this is a great site. We went in very late April, 2013 and took minibuses both ways from Van. Although it was a weekday, there were plenty of people at the boat so we only paid 10 TL roundtrip each. Tourist office in Van told us that even if there are not many people, you do not have…
A great hike up the hill to the Armenian church on this little island in the middle of Lake Van. Nice café area and beautiful church.
For travellers in the Van area of eastern Turkey, a visit to the CHC on Akdamar Island in Lake Van is a must. Getting there requires both a car/bus plus a boat ride (see the other reviews at this site for details). If at all possible try to go on a sunny day which enhances the relief of the outstanding…