Van Travel Guide

  Akdamar Church
by easterndream
 
  • Akdamar Church
      Akdamar Church
    by easterndream
  • VAN-Muradiye Waterfalls
      VAN-Muradiye Waterfalls
    by Arkeolog
  • HOSAP CASTLE -VAN
      HOSAP CASTLE -VAN
    by Arkeolog
  • Ishak Pasa Palace
      Ishak Pasa Palace
    by ozalp
  •   Things to Do
    by ozalp
 

Pro

ozalp profile photo

 Breakfasts, lake, history, people 


Con

Behi profile photo

 Water & electricity cut off 


In a nutshell

RitchiS1 profile photo

 SUNSETs 

 

Explore Van

Things to Do  

Van Lake

Van Lake, Van

 ozalp Says:  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... 

Van Museum

Van Museum, Van

 Behi Says:  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... 

Surprise at Van Museum!

Surprise at Van Museum!, Van

 Behi Says:  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,... 

Thousands christian crosses, Van kalesi

Thousands christian crosses, Van kalesi, Van

 Behi Says:  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... 

Hotels  

Tamara Otel

 13 Opinions

Merit Sahmaran

 16 Opinions

Restaurants  

Akdamar Restaurant: Akdamar Restaurant and Camping

Akdamar Restaurant: Akdamar Restaurant and Camping, Van

 easterndream Says:  The Restaurant is just opposite the Akdmar Island where the boats go to the Island.They have very delicious fish from the Lake and traditional foodsand camping is available with hot water. Camping is free Tava and Lake Van fish 

o Gun Pide: Traditional Lahmacun

o Gun Pide: Traditional Lahmacun, Van

 Behi Says:  2nd & last meal was 2 another dishes of Lahmacuna (a Traditional meal, like pizza) in 2nd visit of Van.this time at small shop in far west of Kazim Karabekir cad. as I guess no tourist go there.the good point was u can see the Lahmacun process also this small restaurant main... 

Halil Ibrahim Sofrasi: 1st taste of Lahmacun

Halil Ibrahim Sofrasi: 1st taste of Lahmacun, Van

 Behi Says:  we had our 1st launch in 2nd visit of Van at Halil Ibrahim Sofrasi a clean & Lux restaurant with polite waiters.this time we looked for Lahmacun, a Traditional meal, it's like pizza.they have 4 type of Lahmacun in Halil Ibrahim Sofrasi.we tried ordinary Lahmacun (5TL) & one... 

Damak Kebap: Aduna Kebap at Damak Kebap

Damak Kebap: Aduna Kebap at Damak Kebap, Van

 Behi Says:  we arrived to van at ~10 pm, we were very hungry, walked to south of Cumhuriyet cad. & found small shop the Damak Kebap & it's very hospitable owner.we had Aduna Kebap, it is something like as Kabab Kobide in Iran but different Delicious taste.2 skewer of spicy grind meat... 

Safa 3 chorba Pacha: 1st breakfast at Safa 3

Safa 3 chorba Pacha: 1st breakfast at Safa 3, Van

 Behi Says:  We start 1st morning at van with Chorba (soup) in Safa 3.chorba Pacha restaurants are same as Kale pazi in Iran, serve head & leg of limbs but difference is they don't serve a full leg or head just slice of meat in soup (Pacha).Chorba seems was simple delicious spicy soup... 

Transportation  

Van - Orumiyeh(Iran)

Van - Orumiyeh(Iran), Van

 Behi Says:  at Orumiyeh Terminal you can find some company that leaves Orumiyeh to Van & vice versa.they stop somewhere at beginning of Cumhuriyet Cad. in Van.most buses smuggle gasoil or carry cargo, they just need some passengers (2-5) for crossing border legality. try to find buses... 

Transportation in Van

Transportation in Van, Van

 ozalp Says:  We easily found the busses to Gevas, Edremit, Dogubayazit in Van center. But some the busses to some towns were hard to find, like Cavustepe. There are two kind of transportation in city: Small busses (dolmus) and big blue busses of municipality. Both were cheap, about 1.5-3... 

Shopping  

Mehmet Kusman himself: Buy some souvenirs in Cavustepe

Mehmet Kusman himself: Buy some souvenirs in Cavustepe, Van

 ozalp Says:  Mehmet Kusman is a clever man. He manages to earn his life and this deserves respect. He told his little adventure of finding the perfect stone to carve and carving Urartian symbols and writings as souvenirs, too. He was wearing some of them and showed us the rest after... 

Doviz means exchange

Doviz means exchange, Van

 Behi Says:  Change money at Doviz shops.mind that they are closed on all official holidays & on evening (~5pm).then always have enough TL.some shopping malls change money at lower rateEuro exchange rate is better than $ 

Local Customs  

Generous people

Generous people, Van

 ozalp Says:  It started to be boring to say “Our people’s hospitality, generosity…” again and again, but I must tell you these stories:- Most of the population is Kurdish people in Van. So, in busses they use to listen to Kurdish folk songs. When we asked for the price or something in... 

Warnings and Dangers  

Iranians pay attention please!

Iranians pay attention please!, Van

 Behi Says:  It was just once forever in Khoshap that we see this hi-tech device at Turkey.It's impossible to find it in any WC in Turkey thus made us to comprehend how useful this technology is.without this device relaxation was not easy pleasurable! 

no English!

no English!, Van

 Behi Says:  No sigin in the cities or in roads are in English, also least people know English.It's difficult to make connection.The good part for us as Iranian is that Van is Kurdish area & some people know Persian. 

Off The Beaten Path  

Chavosh Tape (Çavuştepe)

Chavosh Tape (Çavuştepe), Van

 Behi Says:  The archeological Urartian site of Chavush tape is located at about 25 km of southeast Van on the road to Hakkari. Chavushtepe impressive remains of the Urartian castle and seat of King Sardur II (764-735 B.C.).These remains, including the walls and the palace complex with... 

KoshAp Fortress (Hosap Kalesi)

KoshAp Fortress (Hosap Kalesi), Van

 Behi Says:  Kosh Ap Fortress (means sweet Water in Pahlavi Persian) about 60km/37mi southeast of Van on the way to Baskale. It was built in 1643 by the local Kurdish "Sari Soleyman" on the ruins of older one. The massive construction on and around a steep-sided rock was used in... 

Akhtamar (Akdamar)

Akhtamar (Akdamar), Van

 Behi Says:  Akhtamar is a small island in Lake Van, at southwest of van & about 3 km from the shoreline.It is home to a tenth century Armenian church, known as the Cathedral Church of the Holy Cross (915-921), and was the seat of an Armenian Catholicos from 1116 to 1895.The unique... 

Favorites  

Van cat

Van cat, Van

 Behi Says:  we had chance to see to van cats, one at Van kalesi & one at Akdamar restaurant.both were white with a blue & a green eye.The driver told this cats will die if take them out more than 10km far from lake. 

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Map of Van