Hoşap Fortress

According to the inscription at the citadel entrance, the fortress was commissioned by Mahmudi Süleyman Bey in H. 1052 / 1643. Its history reaches back to the state of Urartu; its present form is the work of the Mahmudi Beys, who were subject to the Ottomans.

The fortress fell out of use in the middle of the 19th century, but its buildings remained largely intact. It contains Mahmudi Palace, a viewing pavilion, a harem, men’s reception quarters, a prayer room, a dungeon, an oven and a cistern.

The structure stands on a steep rock mass northwest of the Hoşap River.

Getting there: in Güzelsu, in Gürpınar district; Çavuştepe is in the same district, so both can be seen in one trip.