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From Malatya to Hakkari
The most direct route to this region is the Central
Anatolian Highway that passes through Kayseri, Malatya,
Elazig, Bingöl, Mus, Van and on to Iran, via Hakkari.
Malatya is a busy city situated on a fertile plain at the
foot of the Anti-Taurus Mountains. The Archaeology Museum
houses new finds from the Lower Firat region that date from
the Neolithic and Chalcolithic ages. Next to the city museum,
you can shop in at the bazaar where an entire passageway of
shops is devoted to copperware. In Malatya, the apricot
growing center of Turkey, it is possible to sample many
delicious apricot confections as well as other fresh and dried
fruit. The two small towns which pre-date the establishment of
present-day Malatya are easy expeditions. Aslantepe, 7 km
away, was the capital of a Hittite state in the first
millennium B.C., and Battalgazi, 9 km away, was once the
ancient city of Melitene. At the latter, stand the ruins of a
Byzantine enclosure, and in the center of town, the
13th-century Ulu Mosque is an excellent example of Seljuk
architecture.
Elazig, founded in the 19th century, lies on a plain in the
shadow of a mountain crowned with the ancient citadel of
Harput. Destruction wrought by several earthquakes and the
relatively recent construction of Elazig has led to most of
the population of Harput deserting it for the modern city.
Several Seljuk mosques remain, however, which are worth
visiting. The Keban and Karakaya Dams on the Firat river have
created huge artificial lakes, dramatically altering the
surrounding environment. Twenty-five kilometres south of
Elazig, the lovely and tranquil Hazar Lake invites relaxation.
High mountains encircle Tunceli, 133 km north of Elazig on
the Elazig-Erzurum road. On the way, stop off to see the
fortress of Pertek, built in the Middle Ages and still in good
condition today. In the Munzur Valley National Park near
Ovacik, 60 km northwest of Tunceli, you can fish in rushing,
trout-filled streams while enjoying the amazing scenery.
The name of Bingöl means "a thousand lakes", a name given
to it because of the many glacier lakes in the surrounding
mountains. In the city stand the remains of a medieval
fortress. Bingöl-Yolçati (Kurucadag) Ski Center is 20 km to
the west.
Mus, a little out of the way for most tourist expeditions,
was founded in the sixth century. Many of the city's
monuments, including the remains of a citadel and the
Aslanhane Caravanserai, are in poor condition. The Seljuk
mosques of Alaeddin Pasa and Haci Seref, however, are
certainly worth a detour. Korkuteli is famous for its kilim
weaving and Siirt blankets; it is definitely worth seeing.
The lively city of Bitlis, an important center of tobacco
production, stands in the middle of a green oasis. The city's
architecture uses the local dark stone, and the stone
monuments include the Serefhan Medrese, the 12th-century Ulu
Mosque, the Seljuk Gökmeydani Mosque and the Ottoman Serefiye
Mosque. Bitlis Sapgõr Ski Center is close to the town's
center. From Tatvan on the western shore of Lake Van, you can
take a passenger and train ferry across the water to Van.
Nemrut Dagi (Mt. Nemrut, not to be confused with Nemrut Dagi
National Park in the province of Adiyaman) makes a challenging
climb. In its center a deep crater lake bubbles with volcanic
hot springs.
The ruins of Ahlat are 44 km north of Tatvan on the western
shore of Lake Van. The ruins of this once-important city of
Turkish art and culture are scattered today among more recent
constructions. In the 12th century this city was the capital
of the Turkish state that ruled the Van Basin. Several
mausoleums, notably the Ulu Kümbet, the Bayindir Kümbet, the
Hasan Pasa Kümbet and the Çifte Kümbet offer a comprehensive
overview of Seljuk funerary architecture and decoration. In
the Seljuk cemetry are beautifully inscribed memorial
tombstones from the 12th century. The Turkish Art Museum
houses a collection of ceramics, ancient coins and jewellery.
Modern Ahlat provides lakeside tourist accommodation, beach
facilities and restaurants.
As you drive on around the lake you come to Adilcevaz,
where the Ulu Mosque, built of the region's dark volcanic
stone, stands on the lake shore. Ten kilometres west of
Adilcevaz is Kef Castle, and the nearby Urartian temple of
Haldi dates from the ninth century B.C. Artifacts from this
site can be seen in the Museum of Anatolian Civilisations in
Ankara. The Adilcevaz High School yard displays some of the
column bases.
Van (170 km east of Bitlis), the ancient Urartian capital
of Tuspa, tempts visitors with its location on the eastern
shore of the lake. This remote but important city is set in a
verdant oasis at the foot of a rocky peak. An imposing
9th-century B.C. citadel overlooks the new and the old parts
of town. Steps carved in the rock lead to the Urartian
fortress. Halfway up the steps, inscriptions in cuneiform pay
homage to Xerxes. Within the fortress are several Urartian
royal rock tombs. In the old city, the Ulu Mosque, Hüsrev Pasa
Mosque, Kaya Çelebi Mosque and the Ikiz Kümbet reflect Seljuk
and Ottoman architectural styles. Van's interesting
Archaeological Museum is in the new city, inland from the
uninhabited old district. Still very much part of a
traditional lifestyle, the women of Van produce beautiful
kilims woven in blue, red and white patterns. The exotic Van
cat, a protected specie, has thick white fur and one blue and
one green eye.
At Van Iskelesi (Van Harbour), friendly tea gardens and
restaurants invite you for a break. Edremit, a holiday resort
center 14 km to the southwest, has good beaches, swimming and
camping. In the same direction is Gevas, where you can visit a
Seljuk cemetery with numerous decorated headstones, and the
lovely Halime Hatun Mausoleum.
 Lake Van, the largest lake in
Turkey is at an altitude of 1,720 meters, and is ringed by
beautiful mountains. Mt. Süphan (4,058 meters) is on the
northwest side and the Ihtiyar Sahap Mountains is to the
south. You can circle the lake, visiting several ancient
Uranian sites as well as other places that represent the
legacies of the various peoples who inhabited the area. Some
of the islands in Lake Van have monasteries and churches built
on them. No doubt the remote location offered seclusion to the
resident religious communities. Forty-one kilometres southwest
of Van, Akdamar Island (a half-hour sail from shore) is the
most important of these. On the island stands the 10th century
Church of the Holy Cross, now a museum, whose stone walls are
richly carved with Old Testament scenes and figures. After
sightseeing, swimmers and picnickers can enjoy themselves
around the island's almond groves. If you have time, also
visit Çarpanak Island to enjoy its landscape and to wander
around the 12th-century church, which has now been converted
into a museum.
Çavustepe, 35 km from Van on the Hakkari road, is an
important Uranian citadel. Excavated in 1970, today you can
see temples, a palace, a sacrificial altar and inscriptions.
On the pastoral, winding road to Hakkari, the Zernek Dam Lake
offers itself as a resting spot on the way to Hosap, 60 km
from Van, where a 17th-century fairytale castle rises above a
small hill. Although the interior is badly damaged, the
exterior walls, crenellations and turrets are well-preserved.
Among the interesting geographical features around Lake
Van, the Muradiye Waterfalls, 88 km north of Van, with a
peaceful tea garden and restaurants, and Gahnispi-Beyaz Çesme
Falls, 60 km south of Van, are worth visiting.
The road to remote Hakkari, 203 km southeast of Van, takes
you through some of Turkey's most magnificent scenery: the
Cilo-Sat Mountains and the Zap Valley. A medieval fortress
dominates the city, which is at an altitude of 1,748 meters.
Eastern Anatolia
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