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    Van

    Turkey

    Van

    CityCultureNature

    Van lies at around 1,700 m on the eastern shore of Lake Van, Turkey's largest lake, in eastern Anatolia. The city is a starting point for the Akdamar Church, the Urartian Fortress, and the famous Van breakfast.

    by Felix Gillen

    1. Home
    3. Destinations
    5. Turkey
    7. East Anatolia
    9. Van
    Van lies at around 1,700 m on the eastern shore of Lake Van, Turkey's largest lake, in eastern Anatolia. The city is a starting point for the Akdamar Church, the Urartian Fortress, and the famous Van breakfast. The city has over 500,000 residents, and its center, with the Breakfast Street, is in the Şerefiye quarter. The fortress rises a few kilometers west along the lakeshore.

    Sights in Van

    Discover the most important sights and attractions

    Akdamar Island and Holy Cross Church
    Attraction

    1Akdamar Island and Holy Cross Church

    The pier at Gevaş on Lake Van's southern shore offers 20-minute boat trips to Akdamar Island. There stands the Armenian Church of the Holy Cross, which King Gagik I Artsruni built from 915 to 921. After restoration, it has been a museum since 2007. In strong winds, crossings may be cancelled.
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    Van Museum
    Museum

    2Van Museum

    The Museum of Archaeology and Ethnography showcases the region's history. Its main focus is the Urartians, who appeared around 900 BC and made Van their capital under the name Tuşpa. It's a great starting point before visiting the fortress.
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    Breakfast Cafes Street
    Point of Interest

    3Breakfast Cafes Street

    On Breakfast Street in the Şerefiye quarter, restaurants line up, serving Van breakfast. The table is laden with herb cheese, Murtuğa, Kavut, honey, olives, and many small dishes. Some restaurants open early in the morning.
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    Van Cat House
    Attraction

    4Van Cat House

    The Van cat is white and often has eyes of two different colours. To protect the breed, the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of Van Yüzüncü Yıl University and the governor's office founded a dedicated cat house in 1992. Here you can see the animals up close.
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    Van Fortress (Van Kalesi)

    5Van Fortress (Van Kalesi)

    The Urartians built the fortress on a steep rock ridge west of Van, 9th-7th century BCE. It overlooks the ruins of Tushpa, Urartu's capital. The lower walls are made of dry-laid basalt. The fortress also features a trilingual inscription by Persian King Xerxes I.
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    Restaurants in Van

    1

    Milkman Kenan

    The breakfast restaurant on Kahvaltıcılar Sokağı is one of the city's oldest and opens daily at 5 AM. It serves the classic Van breakfast with herbed cheese, Murtuğa, and Kavut.
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    2

    Dynasty's Table

    The restaurant in the Alipaşa district is known for Kebap. Local city guides list it among the city's Kebap addresses.
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    3

    Halil Ibrahim's Table

    The restaurant in the Şerefiye quarter specializes in regional dishes from Van. Local guides name it among the addresses for home-style cooking.
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    Food and Drinks

    Van is known as the capital of Turkish breakfast. The Van breakfast is protected as a geographical indication.

    Otlu Peynir

    The herb cheese is seasoned with plants from the high pastures and is the centerpiece of every van breakfast.

    Murtuğa

    Flour, butter, and egg are fried in the pan into a rich breakfast dish.

    Kavut

    Roasted, ground grain is cooked with butter, sugar, and black pepper.

    Pearl Mullet

    The small Lake Van fish spawns in river mouths in May and June. In Van, it's prepared many ways.

    Culture & History

    Tuşpa, Capital of the UrartiansIn the 9th century BC, Van, then known as Tuşpa, was the capital of the Kingdom of Urartu. The fortress on a steep rocky ridge by the lake dates back to King Sarduri I. A trilingual inscription by the Persian King Xerxes is preserved on the rock.Armenian VaspurakanIn the 10th century, Gagik I. Artsruni, ruler of the Kingdom of Vaspurakan, had the Church of the Holy Cross built on Akdamar Island. Since its restoration in 2007, it has been a museum and is on UNESCO's Tentative List.Earthquakes of 2011On October 23, 2011, an earthquake of magnitude 7.2 shook the region. In another earthquake on November 9, 2011, several buildings collapsed in the city.

    Getting There & Around

    Getting ThereFlight: Van Ferit Melen Airport has daily connections to Istanbul, Ankara, and other major cities.Ferry: A train ferry connects Van with Tatvan on the western shore. There is no railway line around the lake.Lake ExcursionsTo reach Akdamar Church, drive along the south shore to the pier near Gevaş; boats take about 20 minutes. Hoşap Castle is located on the road to Hakkari; the Urartian Çavuştepe Castle is in the Gürpınar district.NoteVan is located approximately 100 km west of the Iranian border. Before you travel, check the current travel advice from the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO).

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      • 2Van Museum4 days
      • 3Breakfast Cafes Street5 days
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    Nearby

    East Anatolia

    East Anatolia

    East Anatolia is the highland region in the far east of Turkey, featuring the 5,137 m high Mount Ararat, Lake Van, and the ruins of Ani. The region lies at an average elevation of 2,200 m and is the highest-lying in the country. Those who seek vast landscapes, Armenian churches, and Urartian castles will find them here.
    Kars & Ani

    Kars & Ani

    Kars, situated at an altitude of 1,768 m in Turkey's far northeast, serves as the starting point for the ruined city of Ani, a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2016. The city, with a population of over 90,000, features a blend of Armenian churches, a 12th-century castle, and streets dating back to the Tsarist era. Its Russian-influenced grid layout can be found in the districts of Yusufpaşa, Ortakapı, and Cumhuriyet, while the old town Kaleiçi lies beneath the castle.
    Mardin

    Mardin

    Mardin, in southeastern Turkey, perches on a slope above the Mesopotamian Plain, famed for its south-facing stone old town. Madrasahs, mosques, and Syriac Orthodox monasteries speak of Artuqids, Akkoyunlu, and past Christian communities. With around 130,000 residents, its old town stretches below the citadel down the south slope, best explored on foot.
    Southeastern Anatolia

    Southeastern Anatolia

    Southeastern Anatolia is the land between the Euphrates and Tigris, bordering Syria, home to Göbekli Tepe, the colossal statues of Mount Nemrut, and the stone city of Mardin. Here lie some of humanity's oldest cult sites, plus Gaziantep, the capital of Turkish cuisine. If you seek archaeology and hearty, spicy cuisine, this is the right place.
    Nemrut Dağı

    Nemrut Dağı

    Nemrut Dağı is a mountain in the Anti-Taurus range in Southeast Anatolia, on whose summit King Antiochus I of Commagene had his tomb-sanctuary with colossal statues of gods erected. Since 1987, it has been a UNESCO World Heritage site and is a popular destination, especially for sunrise and sunset. Starting points are Kahta and the village of Karadut at the foot of the mountain, about 85 km from Adıyaman.

    Sources & method

    • Photos: Wikimedia Commons, Pexels, Google Maps. Each photo carries its credit.
    • Place data such as addresses and ratings comes from Google Maps.
    • The content is based on web research from public, traceable sources. How the content is made · The role of AI