ISHAK PASHA SARAY
Palace of Ottoman era was built in 1685 by Colak Abdi Pasha. According to the inscription on its door, the Harem Section of the palace was completed by his son Ishak (Isaac) Pasha in 1784. Is more of a complex than a palace; it is the second administrative campus after the Topkapı Palace in İstanbul and the most famous of the palaces built in recent decades. The palace, which was built on a hill at the side of a mountain 5 km. east of Doğubayazıt, it is one of the most distinguished and magnificent examples of the 18th century Ottoman architecture and is very valuable in terms of art history. The complex consists of following sections: exterior facades, first and second courts, the men's quarter (selamlık), the mosque, the soup kitchen (Darьzziyafe), bath, Harem Section, hall for ceremonies and entertainment, arch gates, pantries and ammunition room, the mausoleum, the bakery, dungeons. The characteristic property of the palace is its combined Ottoman, Persian, and Seljuk architectural style.
NOAH’S ARK
Has been found near Dogubayazit between Telзeker and Ьzengili villages. It is a natural monument 4 km. far from Turkey - Iran transit road. During 1959 in Ararat area was NATO photographic mission. Some of the pictures showed a symmetrical streamlined stone structure which has the right dimensions, and interior structure and symmetrically arranged traces of metal are consistent with the Ark. Also 13 anchor stones with iconographic inscriptions have been found near there. In 1987 the Turkish government announced to the world the discovery of the remains of Noah's Ark. They commissioned the building of a visitors center overlooking the remains and set the immediate area aside as a national park.
METEOR CRATER
It is at a distance of 2 km. from Iran territory and 35 km. from east of Doğubayazıt. The crater was formed due to a meteor fall in 1892. It is the second biggest meteor crater after the one in Alaska according to its width (55 m) and depth (60 m).
FISH LAKE
It is located on the 60 km north-east of Doğubayazit. Fish Lake (Balık Golu), with it’s 2241 m elevation, is one of the highest lakes in Turkey. There is an island with an area of 4 thousand sq. meters on the north side of the lake where you can find historical remains. The island, with a population of velvet ducks that brood on the island, is one of the 100 important bird areas in Turkey. The lake is famous for its red spotted trout that.
ARARAT VILLAGE
On our trekking way we stop for while in two Kurdish villages - ARARAT VILLAGE (KANIKORK or TOPCATAN) located on the foot of Mt. Ararat and ELI VILLAGE located ahead the main campsite at 3,200 meters. You can meet there dark-eyed, scarlet-lipped local people and a white-haired, slightly humped old shepherds. You can join their every day life, see how life is going for people who are living on the foot of holy mountain. They are very hosting and their houses and nomad’s tents are always open for visitors! Our family who is living in nomad site in 2800 m AMSL will host you with pleasure!!
ICE CAVE
It is on the a plain ending at the foothills (around 2000m AMSL) of the Little Mount Ararat. The cave is 7-8 meter underground. There are many ice stalagmites and stalactites in the different size inside the cave which is 50 meters in width and 100 meters in length. One of the most amazing characteristic of Ice Cave is being cold in summer time and hot in winter. Depends of sun ice forms are shining different colors, what is like magic illumination for visitors.
NEMRUT CRATER
An inactive volcano, Mt. Nemrut nearby Tatvan ascends to 3050 m AMSL. It is located rising from the southwestern shore of Lake Van. Mt. Nemrut is the most southern and youngest of the chain of volcanoes in the eastern Anatolia. A strato type volcano, Mt. Nemrut began erupting during the fourth geological era and continued to be active until 1441 A.D. As a result of the volcanic eruptions of Mt. Nemrut, the single Van - Mus river basin was divided into two separate basins. The explosion of Nemrut volcano also led the formation of Lake Van, the largest lake in Turkey. Treks up Nemrut Crater begin on the mountain's southeastern flank at Tatvan. The south or southeastern side of the crater can be reached after an easy hike for 4-5 hours. Those who reach this point have the rare chance to see the wondrous crater of this inactive volcano. For those who find the climb to the crater too strenuous, four-wheel drive vehicles can reach the summit from either Ahlat or Tatvan. Summer (June - September) is the best season for expeditions in Mt. Nemrut. Hikers who climb to the crater and summit from the southeast or eastern face of the mountain are rewarded with wonderful views of Lake Van. İnside Nemrut Crater you can find two lakes. Smaller one is hot, the water is very worm, and bigest one is cold. There is one small island too, you can go ther by ferry or swimming. Our camping is lokated beetwin both of lakes. This place is base camp for trekking to the top of crater.
SUPHAN MOUNTAIN
Mount Suphan, an extinct volcano, is the second highest mountain in Turkey, second only to Mount Ararat. Suphan is located just north of Lake Van, Turkey's largest lake. The volcano's summit holds a snow-filled crater, but is generally broad and rugged from eons of erosion. The slopes, however, have retained much of their conal form, making the ascent of Suphan a straightforward one. Throughout the winter, snow falls on Suphan reaching three to four meters. The mountain's steep slopes and snow blanket combine to make it a good location for skiing. The easily accessible southern and eastern flanks of Suphan are the preferred faces for ascending the mountain; they both offer spectacular views.
VAN
City Van is located on the eastern shore of Lake Van, the biggest lake in Turkey. The legend said that founder of the city was queen Semiramide. Under the ancient name of Tushpa, Van was the capital of the Urartian kingdom in the 9th century BC. The region came under the control of the Medes in the early 7th century BC and later by Persians in the mid 6th century BC. In 331 BC, Van was conquered by Alexander the Great and after his death became part of the Seleucid Empire. The most important in Van area is Castle, Akdamar Island and cats
The Van Castle (Van Kalesi) also known as Van Citadel is a massive stone fortification built by the ancient kingdom of Urartu. The lower parts of the wall were built out of unmortared basalt, the rest out of mud-brick. Such fortresses were usually used for regional control, rather than for defense against foreign armies. The ruins of this building sit outside the modern city of Van, where they support walls built in the medieval era
Akdamar is a small island (about 0.7 km2 in size), situated about 3 km from the shoreline. On the island situated a 10th century Armenian church, known as the Cathedral Church of the Holy Cross (915-921). The unique importance of the Cathedral Church of the Holy Cross comes from the extensive array of bas-relief carving of mostly biblical scenes that adorn its external walls. The meanings of these reliefs have been the subject of much and varied interpretation. We know a beautiful legend about origin and meaning of island’s names: an Armenian princess, named Tamar, lived on the island and was in love with a commoner. This boy would swim from the mainland to the island each night, guided by a light she lit for him. Her father learned of the boy's visits. One night, as she waited for her lover to arrive, he smashed her light, leaving the boy in the middle of the lake without a guide to indicate which direction to swim. They say his dying cries of "Akh, Tamar" (Oh, Tamar) can be heard to this day at night
For sure the most important animal on Van Lake area is a cat. Van Cats has a two different colours of eyes, what make them demonic and of course beautiful. Population of Van Cats is getting smaller every year, so they are protecting and you can see them only in few special places in the city
