Discover Turkey
Eastern Turkey
Lake Van, Akdamar Island, the ruins of Ani and the İshak Paşa Palace beneath Mount Ararat – Turkey far from the usual tourist trail.
Eastern Turkey is a land of high plateaus, mountains and ancient civilisations. Urartians, Armenians, Byzantines, Seljuks and Ottomans followed one another here, leaving fortresses, churches, mosques and madrasas amid spectacular scenery.
What to see
- Diyarbakır – a city of monumental basalt walls and the Hevsel Gardens, inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
- Lake Van – Turkey’s largest lake, with the Church of the Holy Cross on Akdamar Island.
- Ahlat – a Seljuk cemetery with monumental gravestones.
- İshak Paşa Palace – a lavish 18th-century palace above Doğubayazıt, not far from Mount Ararat.
- Ani – the ruins of a medieval Armenian capital on the border with Armenia.
- Erzurum – a city of Seljuk and Ottoman madrasas.
When to go
The best time is from late May to early October. Thanks to the altitude, days are pleasant and nights cool; winters are long and very cold.
Tours featuring: Eastern Turkey
