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| Eastern and
Southeastern Anatolia |
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With its high
mountain ranges, plateaus, plains and lakes, its creek and
river beds splashed with hues of purple, brown, gray, yellow
and red, and some of the best Turkish architecture anywhere,
this region of Anatolia is like a historical documentary on
ancient life. Sivas, Divriği, Erzurum, Battalgazi, Harput, and
Ahlat, all cities situated in this region, were important
centers of Selçuk art. In Eastern Anatolia are the cities of
Ağrı, Bingöl, Bitlis, Elazığ, Erzincan, Erzurum, Hakkari,
Kars, Malatya, Muş, Tunceli, Van, Ardahan and Iğdır, while in
Southeaster Anatolia the larger cities are
Adıyaman,Diyarbakır, Gaziantep, Mardin, Siirt, Şanlıurfa,
Batman, Şırnak and Kilis. |
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Erzurum is
located on a large plain at an altitude of 1950 meters.
In the city, there are many religious schools, tombs and
mosques from both the Selçuk and Ottoman period which
are well-worth seeing. The city of Kars in the northeast
is famous for its castle and nearby Ocaklı (Ani) is a
historical city with rich architecture from the 10th and
11th centuries.
Mount Ararat (Ağrı Dağ), whose
peak soars up 5165 meters is important for a number of
different faiths. It is believed that after the Flood,
in which all humanity was
destroyed, | | |
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the ark of Noah
came to rest on Mount Ararat and as the waters receded Noah and his
family settled on the nearby Plain of Iğdır. As their numbers
increased, they eventually spread along the Tigris and Euphrates
rivers to other parts of Anatolia. |
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Accordingly, Iğdır
is seen as the center from which the second generation of
humanity multiplied and again spread over the world. The
magnificent palace complex of Ishak Paşa, which looks down
upon Dogubeyazit, was built in the later part of the 17th
century by the Ottoman governor, Ishak Paşa. The site of the
castle is superb and it is made up of a kitchen unit, a mosque
and separate womens and mens quarters. |
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Lake Van is
Anatolia's beauty center. In order to see all of this beauty,
it is absolutely essential that a tour of the entire lake be
made, during which time the beautiful mountain silhouettes,
bays, beaches, islands and important Turkish cultural and art
centers may be seen. The city of Van, which lies on the
southeastern shores of the lake, was the capital city of the
Urartu empire. The Van Castle, which was built by the Urartus
around 1000 BC, | |
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is a dynamic
example of the age in which it was built and is definitely
worth seeing. South of Van, the city of Edremit is a poplar
vacation getaway famous for its beaches, camping spots and
restaurants. On the island of Akdamar is located the Akdamar
Museum, which was originally a 10th century church. As the
Tigris and Euphrates flow towards the plains of Mesopotamia,
they pass through an important region of Anatolia. Some of the
bigger cities in this region are Diyarbakir, Mardin, Adiyaman,
Şanlı Urfa and Gazi
Antep. | |
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The region is the
oldest cultural settlement center in Anatolia. North of Diyarbakır
is Cayonu, the most important neolithic settlement of the area. The
basalt walls of Diyarbakır, which are more than 5 kilometers in
length, have the distinction of being the longest city walls in the
country. |
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Mardin is one of
the few cities in the country which has actually preserved its
traditional aesthetic architecture. It is a unique site not
only because of its well-maintained state but also because of
its unusual location on top of a hill. The prophet Abraham,
who is the father of 3 different faiths, is believed to have
lived in Şanlı Urfa and Harran and so they are considered holy
places. The Ataturk Dam, built in the town of Bozova near
Şanlı Urfa is the biggest in Turkey and 4th largest in the
world. The lake is surrounded with beautiful scenic
sites. |
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The Plain of Harran
with its vast farmland will be the most productive
agricultural region of the country. Gazi Antep is the most
important industrial and agricultural area in southeastern
Anatolia. We doubt that any visitor who has come all the
way to Gazi Antep will leave without first having tasted the
famous local varieties of kebap, lahmacun and baklava or
without buying a few packages of Antep pistachios for friends
and relatives. To the northeast of Adıyaman, on top of Mount
Nemrut (Nemrut Dağ) is the mausoleum made for the Commagene
King, Antiochus I. |
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On the east and west of
the memorial grave site are ritual terraces and on these terraces
are gigantic statues of the gods. The best time to see Mount Nemrut
is at sunset.
Malatya is an important
industrial and agricultural region on the lower Euphrates. It is
famous for its apricots and the 13th century Ulu Cami mosque in
Battalgazi with its beautiful glazed tiles. |
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| Dogubeyazit |
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Doğubayazıt, which
is the eastern gate of Turkey, hosted for various tribes and
civilizations during history. During this long adventure
continued for centuries, after being under sovereignty of
Urartu, Assyria, Medes, Persians, Roma and Bizantium province
had faced with Islamic raids during Caliph Hz. Osman. While
Doğubayazıt was holding the signs of all tribes, lived, fight
and established civilizations and cultures within Anatolia, it
also gains importance with its natural beauties and folkloric
richness day by day. |
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| Nemrut |
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Junction point of
East and West Civilizations on 2150 m. high in a magnificent
pyramid, eight wonder of the world, Nemrut, is within UNESCO
World Culture Heritage with its ten meters high miracle
statues, and meters long inscriptions.
Mount Nemrut, is
drawing attention with being the most marvelous sun rise and
sun set watching place of the world besides gargantuan statues
on it. Thousands of people are coming to Mount Nemrut for
watching sun rise and sun set.
Mount Nemrut, which
is announced as World Culture Heritage by UNESCO, is one of
the most important National Parks of the country together with
its surrounding Kommagene Civilization pieces of arts.
Gargantuan statues and tumulus, Arsameia (Old Castle), New
Castle, Karakuş Hill and Cendere Bridge in Mount Nemrut are
within territories of National Park.
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