With settlements dating back to the 6th millennium BCE and the earliest kingdoms from pre bronze era, Eastern Anatolia has been witness to the rise and fall of empires throughout the known human history. The Hittites, Achaemenids, Greeks, Romans, Seljuks and the Ottomans all left an impact on the area which can be seen in the various archaeological sites today. Mount Ararat the site where Noah’s Ark came to rest is also situated here.
Having visited and explored West, Central and North West regions of Turkey, we decided to visit South East and Eastern Turkey in the summer of ’23. We took a flight in from Istanbul to Diyarbakir, then drove from there to Van (on Lake Van), Doğubayazıt, Kars, Erzurum and back over the course of 10 days. While there are many similarities to the Western part of the country this region has a unique culture and an ‘old world’ charm which is hard to find in the more touristy areas.
We took an early morning flight from Istanbul and landed in the city of Diyarbakir around 11 am, this predominantly Kurdish city has seen its share of violence in the past (with the Kurdish nationalist movement being active here), however things have been more peaceful since the recent past. As we were making our way to the baggage claim, we were stopped by the police and questioned on the purpose of our visit, while the whole process was polite and not too time consuming, it was a bit of a shock to see this happen in Turkey which is overall a very tourist friendly country. We picked up our rental car and headed to the Amida Boutique hotel in old part of the city. The city walls first built during the Roman period consist of extensive outer walls and then inner walls around the citadel. Navigating traffic in the old city as anywhere else is a bit of a challenge, but for first time visitors I would definitely recommend staying in the area. Main sights in the old town include the grand mosque, suluklu han, Hasan Pasa Hani and the Citadel and museum. Two or three days are more than enough to take in the main sights in the area. While there are many decent restaurants I would specially mention Firin-ci, for it great food and ambience, where we has a couple of meals. In the new part of the city, Nasir Usta is quite famous for Adana Kebab and quite worth the visit.
After three days in Diyarbakir we headed east to Van situated on the shores of Lake Van. The 5 hour drive was pleasant and we reached the Ramada in the city early afternoon. The hotel is ideally located on the lakeshore, although the rocky beach makes lake access difficult. Lake Van is a popular destination for local tourists, and there are plenty of water sports and rentals available. Akdamar island in the lake is home to the 10th century Armenian Church of the Holy Cross. Van castle with it remaining ramparts and outer walls is also a good place for a short visit.
From Van we headed towards Kars, stopping on way at the town of Dogubayezit, known for being the base to access Mount Ararat. The mountain is supposed to have been the resting place of Noah’s Ark, and is considered holy by the Armenians and figures prominently in their religious and cultural discourse. If one has time it is quite worth taking a guide to hike up Mt. Ararat , there are many travel agencies in Dogubayezit offering these services. The drive from Dogubayezit was very scenic, with a varied landscape, from a shield volcano (Tendurek Dagi) to mountains and rolling hills, passing through many small towns on the way. Kars is a very interesting city, with Armenian, Seljuk, Russian and Ottoman influences. The old citadel of Kars Castle is well preserved and worth visiting. We stayed at the Grand Ani Hotel a rather uniquely decorated botique hotel which I would definitely recommend for a stay. The ruins of the ancient Armenian city of Ani (about an hours drive from the city) is the main tourist attraction in the area. Part of the old city walls and some of the buildings are quite well preserved and are a reflection of the rich multicultural past of the area.
The next stop on our tour was the city of Erzurum. With the initial settlement going back to pre historic times, the city has changed hands from Armenians, Romans, Arabs to the Persians and Ottomans. The main historic sites in the city include the Ulu Cami, Cifte Minarli Medresse, Yakutiye Medresse and the old citadel. The spectacular Tortum waterfall is a 90min drive away and a must visit if in the area. The area is well known for its winter sports and the Palandoken and Konakli Ski Resorts are very popular with the locals. Erzurum is also know for being the birth place of the Cag Kebab (tender cuts of meat grilled on a horizontal spit). While there are many famous Cag kebab restaurants (including Koc and Nebi Usta), we tried Oltu Cag Kebab near our hotel, the kebabs were excellent and reasonably price and the staff was extremely welcoming, the owner came over to welcome us and treated us to dessert on the house, I even got to carve out a couple of skewers from the spit!. Finally, I would like to mention our hotel, the Ramada, the rooms were just huge and the services excellent, I would definitely recommend it for a stay.
After 3 days in Erzurum, we headed back to Diyarbakir for our flight out to Istanbul and then on to Sarajevo. We staying the the newer part of the city, with plans of trying our the much recommended Nasir Usta restaurant, however we decided to eat near our hotel at the Ince Usta restaurant, the owner/chef is a very welcoming and colorful character and I would really recommend the place. It had been a fun filled two weeks and I am sure I would be back exploring more of this warm and hospitable area with a rich history very soon.
The Open Roads 