FROM MALATYA TO HAKKARI

The most direct routs to this region is the Central Anatolian Highway that passes through Kayseri, Malatya, Demo, Bingol, Mus, Van and on to Iran, via Hakkari.

Countryside Scene Scenic view, Firat River

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 the bazaar where an entire passageway of shops is devoted to copper wares. 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 city of Harput's citadel. The destruction from several earthquakes and the relatively recent construction of Elazig, has led to most of Harput's population 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 km south of Elazig, the lovely and tranquil Hazar Lake beckons.

Izzet Pasa Mosque, Elazig

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.

Bingol means "a thousand lakes": a name given to the town because of the many glacier lakes in the surrounding mountains. In the city stand the remains of a medieval fortress Bingol-Yolcati (Kurucadag) Ski Center is 20 km to the west.

Tatvan Harbor

Mug, a subdistrict of Korkut and a little out of the way for most tourist routes, was founded in the 6th 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 Pap and Haci Seref, however, are certainly worth a detour. Korkut is famous for its kilim weaving and Siirt blankets; it's definitely worth seeing.

Bitlis Folkloric Dancing

The lively city of Bitlis, an important center of tobacco production, occupies the middle of a green oasis. The city's architecture uses the local dark stone, and the masonry monuments include the Serefhan Medrese, the 12th century Ulu Mosque, the Seljuk Gokmeydani Mosque and the Ottoman Serefiye Mosque. Bitlis Ski Center is close to the town's center. From Tatvan on the western shore of Lake Van, you can take a passenger train and ferry across the water to Van. Nemrut Dagi (Mount Nemrut) makes a challenging climb. In its center a deep crater lake bubbles with volcanic hot springs.

The ruins of Ahlat, 44 km north of Tatvan on the western shore Lake Van, once an 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 Kumbet, the Bayindir Kumbet, the Hasan Pasa Kumbet, and the Cifte Kumbets offer a comprehensive overview of Seljuk funerary architecture and decoration. In the Seljuk cemetery are beautifully inscribed monumental tombstones from the 12th century. The Turkish Art Museum houses a collection of ceramics, ancient coins and jewelry. Modern Ahlat provides lakeside tourist accomodations, beach facilities and restaurants.

Ahlat Mausoleum Hasan Padisah Mausoleum, Ahlat

As you drive 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 km west of Adilcevaz is Kef Castle, and the nearby Urartian temple of Haldi dates from the 9 th century B.C. Artifacts from this site can been seen in the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations in Ankara. The Adilcevaz High School garden displays some of the column bases.

Van, the ancient Urartian capital of Tuspa, tempts visitors to 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, inscriptions in cuneiform pay homage to Xerxes. Within the fortress are several Urartian royal rock tombs. In the old city, the Ulu Mosque, Husrev Pasa Mosque, Kaya Celebi Mosque and the Ikiz Kumbets 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 white fur Van cat, a protected animal, is distinguished by one blue and one green eye.

Ancient Van

At Van Iskelesi (Van Harbor), hospitable 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 Gevras, where you can visit a Seljuk cemetery with many decorated headstones and the lovely Halime Hatun Mausoleum.

Muradiye Waterfall, Van

Lake Van, the largest lake in Turkey and at an altitude of 1,720 m, is ringed by beautiful mountains: Mount Suphan (4,058 m) on the northwest side and the Ihtiyar Sahap Mountains to the south. You can circle the lake, visiting several ancient Urartian sites as well as others that represent the legacy of the various peoples who have 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 km 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 outer 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, visit Carpanak Island to enjoy its landscape and to wander around the 12th-century church, now a museum.

Akdamar Island

Cavustepe, 35 km from Van on the Hakkari road, is an important Urartian citadel. Excavated in 1970, today you can see temples, a palace, sacrificial altar and inscriptions. On the pastoral, winding road to Hakkari, the Zernek Dam Lake offers 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 inside is badly damaged, the exterior walls, crenellations and turrets are well- preserved.

Urartian cuneiform inscriptions, Van Archeology Museum

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 Cesme 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 Clio-Sat Mountains and the Zap Valley. A medieval fortress dominates the city, which is at an altitude of 1,700 m.