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Latest Van hotel reviews
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Van Lake is the biggest lake of Turkiye. It is a saline and soda lake and has no outlet (“endorheic” says wikipedia). Lake’s surface is 1640m above sea level. Its widest point is 119 km, average depth is 171m and maximum dept is 451m. Its area is 3755 square km.
The only fish living in this lake is Pearl Mullet.
There are 4 islands in the lake. The most famous one is Ahtamar Island. It is the only island open to visit, I think.
There is a ferry going between Van and Tatvan. It carries the train cars traveling between Iran and Istanbul. Months after writing this tip, I learned that the first Turkish boat on this lake has been built by Mimar Sinan, the great architecht, when he was only a soldier.
Don't forget: Swimming in a soda lake is a strange experience. Its water is soapy and warm.
Updated Dec 31, 2009
Website: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Van
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Van Museum hold objects since pre-historic & Urartian era to Ottoman Turks era.
such as red potteries, gold jewelery, bronze artifacts at lower floor.
Hakkari Stelae & cuneiform tablets At the inner courtyard. Hakkari Stelae was surprise, we have hundreds of those at Ardebil in Iran & I just knew turkey has 13 of those, really was pleasant to see these 13 stones.
coins, glasses & manuscript & more potteries on the upper floor.
sheep shaped grave stones at yard, & many Urartian inscription in yard
as other places there were not enough English signs or guide.
no entry fee
Opening hours: 8-12 & 13-17 except Monday
Updated Jul 26, 2009
Address: Kazim Karabekir cad.
Phone: (0432) 2161139
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Iranian objects & depiction such as Fravahr(pic1), Anahita(pic2), Drafsh-e Kavyan(pic3) & lion head in Achaemenid shape(pic4) was great Surprise for us.
I'm sure Turkey don't know these are obviously Iranian else those have not been shown as the empty place of Achamenid, Parthian or Sassanid & other Iranian era at coin section.
I'm not gonna describe what is each of them, that would be long long story.
Written Jul 25, 2009
Address: Kazim Karabekir cad.
Phone: (0432) 2161139
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Thousands christian crosses engraved on southern slopes of Van kalesi mainly below Ottoman sections.
such this numerous crosses shows many people were under heavy mental pressure.
I guess, Armenian engraved those during WWI when Ottomans started genocide.
very sad to see the traces of Thousands killed men, women & children & what they suffered.
Written Jul 24, 2009
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Van kalesi (Citadel) is a massive stone fortification, an alive history album, since king Sardur I, the Urartian King 844-828 BC who first constructed Tushpa, every one whom controlled the region such as Assyrian, Iranian, Arabs, Byzantine, Ottoman Turks left memorials for us.
Van kalesi (Citadel) extends 1800 meters from the east to the west, and 120 meters from the north to the south. The city of old Van was at the southern foot of the citadel before the First World War.
admission: 3 TL (2009/88)
Updated Jul 24, 2009
Address: Melen Cad.
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The Tushpa was located at southern slopes of Van kalesi until world war I when it was battle field of Turks against Armenian & Russian During world war I caused the city leveled to ground.
Just 2 mosque & ruins of 2 minarets & a church remained from old city.
Updated Jul 24, 2009
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Our only motive for travel to Van:
The rock inscription XV of Xerxes the Great (486-465 BC) cut in the southeastern facade of the Van Citadel.
The text has been wrote in old Persian (left-hand column), Babylonian, and Elamite and survives in a perfect condition.
It is the only Achaemenid royal inscription outside modern Iran:
A great god is Ahuramazda, the greatest of gods, who created this earth, who created that sky, who created man, who created happiness for man, who made Xerxes king, one king for all, one ruler for all.
I am Xerxes, the great king, the king of kings, king of all kinds of peoples with all kinds of origins, king of this earth great and wide, the son of king Darius, the Achaemenid.
King Xerxes says: King Darius, my father, by the grace of Ahuramazda built much that was good, and he gave orders to dig this niche out, but because he did not make an inscription, I ordered this inscription to be made.
May Ahuramazda and the other gods protect me, my kingdom, and what I have made.
Updated Jul 24, 2009
Address: Melen Cad.
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Parthian/Sassanid structures at top of the Van kalesi same as Two corridor at Azargoshnasp fire temple in Iran, probably were Mithraism Mehrab & altar belong to Parthian Empire(248 Bc–224 AD).
Written Jul 24, 2009
Address: Melen Cad.
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Urartian Mother & daughter temple is an open air temple at northern slope.
it's where you can trace 3 religions:
Old Urartian religion, Muslim mosque at front of temple & christian cross at middle of cuneiform inscription (5th pic)
Written Jul 24, 2009
Address: Melen Cad.
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There are some cuneiform inscriptions in Urartian & Assyrian & one in old Persian around Van kalesi,
the oldest one that I've found was the one at northeastern facade near a spring behind a tree (2nd pic)
4 Inscriptions at Urartian Mother & daughter temple.
& other 2 at northern facade.
the big problem is, there are no guide or signs or translation.
Updated Jul 24, 2009
Address: Melen Cad.
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2
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