Van is a city in Eastern Turkey with unique quirks, one of which is a rare breed of cat that, interestingly, lives around Lake Van. Turkish Van cats have curious multi-colored eyes, amber and blue, and a love of swimming in the vast Lake Van. In addition to the exotic cats, the city boasts a deep-rooted history that dates back to 5000 BC. Various civilizations and kingdoms have shaped Van’s history—the Urartian, Armenian, Byzantine, Seljuk, and Ottoman. Each of these eras has left behind remarkable structures, such as Van Fortress (Urartian) and the Church of the Holy Cross (Armenian). Nature has also blessed the city with a lake, which is the largest body of water in Turkey.
What to do and see in Van?
Van Museum
The Van Museum in the pleasant city of the same name is home to artefacts dating from significant eras in Turkish history – prehistoric, Urartian and Ottoman Turkic. An interesting section of the Van Museum is the Genocide Section, where you will learn about the bloody massacres that took place in the region. The museum is divided into several sections:
- in the courtyard there are cuneiform tablets and the Hakkari Stele;
- In the main courtyard there are Urartian tombstones with inscriptions;
- on the lower level are terracotta pottery, Urartian gold jewelry and bronze artifacts;
- On the upper level there are pottery, ancient coins and manuscripts.
Citadel Van
Overlooking the ruins of the 3000-year-old city of Urartu is a colossal stone fortress called the Citadel of Van. Built between the 9th and 7th centuries BC, the Citadel of Van is the largest stone fortress made of basalt and mud bricks.
In the immediate vicinity of the citadel is the Sardur Tower, which contained inscriptions about the beginning of the ancient kingdom of Urartu. The inscription was made in three languages - Old Persian, Babylonian and Elamite by Xerxes the Great in the 5th century BC. Over the course of a thousand years, the inscription has remained in excellent condition.
Akhtamar Island
Legends say that the name of the island Akhtamar was born from love. There was a man who fell in love with a girl from the island. Every night he crossed Lake Van to see her, but one day a storm began, the guy's boat sank, and as he struggled with the strong waves, he called the girl Tamara "Ah Tamar" (Oh Tamar).
The main attraction of the island is the Armenian Cathedral of the Holy Cross, dating back to 915. The architecture of the church is remarkable, but more noteworthy are the works of art on its outer walls, which are scenes taken from the Holy Bible.
Church of the Holy Cross
The Church of the Holy Cross stands magnificently on the top of Mount Aghtamar, surrounded by Lake Van. It was built between 915 and 921 by the Armenian architect Trdat Mendet and is the island’s greatest landmark. The church reflects not only the importance of religion on the island, but also the deep significance of art and culture. The religious landmark has undergone a number of restorations, with 2005 being the most recent. You will still find beautiful red tufa stones that were quarried on neighboring islands, and there is still much to appreciate about the frescoes inside the church. The building is decorated with carvings that are depictions of biblical scenes.
Hosap Castle
On the rocky bank of the Hosap River is a magnificent medieval castle. Local legends say that its architect, a Kurdish man named Mahmudi Suleiman, had his hands cut off by the authorities so that he could no longer build another castle to rival Hosap.
