History9th century BC
Van Fortress / Tuşpa
Conglomerate rock bearing the buildings of Tuşpa, capital of the Kingdom of Urartu: 1,345 metres long, 200 metres wide and 100 metres high.
DISCOVER THE SPIRIT OF THE CITY
One city. Countless discoveries.
A journey from Van city centre to the lakeshore, from Urartian heritage to local culture. Discover places to inspire your itinerary.
History915–921
Akdamar (Ahtamar) Church of the Holy Cross
Commissioned as a palace church by King Gagik I Artsruni of Armenian Vaspurakan in 915–921; its architect was the monk Manuel.
Nature
Lake Van
Türkiye’s largest lake. Its deepest point is 451 metres; its water is soda-rich and alkaline, with a reported pH of 9.7–9.8.
History8th century BC
Çavuştepe Fortress
A fortress founded by King Sarduri II of Urartu. Its Urartian name, Sardurihinili, means “the city founded by Sarduri”.
History1643 (AH 1052)
Hoşap Fortress
A fortress commissioned by Mahmudi Süleyman Bey in 1643, according to the citadel inscription; it stands on a steep rock mass.
Nature
Muradiye Waterfall
A 50-metre-high waterfall on the Bend-i Mahi stream, fed by Mount Tendürek. A suspension bridge crosses the water.
Culture
Van Kedisi Araştırma Merkezi (Van Cat Research Centre)
Van Kedisi Araştırma Merkezi (Van Cat Research Centre) on the Zeve Campus of Yüzüncü Yıl Üniversitesi (Yüzüncü Yıl University). Local people call the cat “pişik”.
History12th–17th centuries
Old City of Van
Urban fabric around 800 years old south of the fortress: Ulu Mosque, Kaya Çelebi Mosque and Hüsrev Paşa Complex are among the surviving buildings.
History9th–5th centuries BC
Urartian royal inscriptions and the Xerxes inscription
Two distinct layers of writing on the Van rock: royal Urartian annals carved into the bedrock and the trilingual Xerxes inscription from the 5th century BC.
Nature
Pearl mullet migration
Endemic to the Lake Van basin, pearl mullet migrate to fresh water each year from April. Fishing for them is prohibited from 15 April to 15 July.
History1335
Halime Hatun Tomb
The tomb commissioned by Melik İzettin Şir for his daughter Halime Hatun, who died in 1335. In Gevaş, beside the Van–Tatvan road.
History9th–8th centuries BC
Menua (Şamran) Canal
Canal named after Urartian King Menua. Van İl Kültür ve Turizm Müdürlüğü (Van Provincial Culture and Tourism Directorate) lists it among Edremit’s main heritage sites.
Nature
Edremit and the Lake Van shore
A district extending along the Lake Van shoreline. Van Ferit Melen Havalimanı (Van Ferit Melen Airport) is also within Edremit.
Nature
Abalı Ski Centre
A ski run starting on Mount Artos in Gevaş district. The 1,200-metre chairlift line has been completed.
Nature
Nemrut Crater Lake
In Bitlis, not Van. A crater lake in the caldera of an extinct volcano between the districts of Tatvan, Ahlat and Güroymak.
History
Van Müzesi (Van Museum)
The museum’s building opened in 2019; its displays run from the Palaeolithic to the Ottoman era, with a focus on Urartian finds. It was closed for repairs; check the official page before you go.
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