I looked for Van, which I had intended three times and almost returned from its door in two of them, I bought the ticket and went directly to Van. My aim is to see the almond flowers in Van.. When I arrived in Van, rainy and cool, from a hot and sunny Istanbul, my friend was still working.
Hürriyet More detailed version of my article published in Seyahat
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Finally I’m Landing in Van
Van The airport is very close to the center and purple buses are waiting at the airport to take you to the center.. You give 3 liras and they help you wherever you go.. My first stop is a tailor in the center. Trousers that cannot be made out of time are entrusted to a local tailor in Van.. I walk out of the tailor, who isn’t very keen to talk, and wander the streets. It’s like I’m walking around in another neighborhood in Istanbul. I don’t like cities like this.. I like historical streets with a mystical atmosphere.. Everything here is the same as where I came from. All the famous shops, malls, restaurants and a wet Van.
It’s so obvious from my outward appearance that I’m unfamiliar. I can’t help the looks. With my bag on my back and linen shoes on my feet, and there is nothing to see on the street, there is no choice but to dive into hot stores.. My first impression of Van is that all the flowery dresses were sent to Van.
After putting on and taking off about a thousand dresses, I get hungry and go to Özşark Sofrası’ with the recommendation of my friend.. Line meatballs and the place are very nice. Finally, my friend who finished school comes to me.. When we talk, we forget where we are and spend a few hours in this kebab place.. My friend is a traveling photographer.. He travels miles to take pictures at every opportunity.. We met during my research on Iran.. He traveled 4500 km in Iran with his own car.
Van Breakfast
When two travelers come together, the conversation never ends.. Road stories are told. Of course, when this is the case, sleep is less.. Woke up crawling the next morning. I should also do the touristic aspects of coming to Van.. For the Van breakfast ritual, we prefer the Sütçü Breakfast Hall’ with a view of Lake Van. Indeed, a table is being set so that which one you will eat.
Kavut does not come in powder form like in Istanbul.. Roasted with butter, with honey and walnuts on it. I was on a diet, forget about it. My brother, who did his military service in Van, is now in education in London.. I am writing exactly the message that came when I sent him the breakfast photo.. “Sister, what have I done to you?. I’m eating conflex here”. I don’t know what my brother thought about this incident that made me laugh so much.. The cost of such a breakfast is only 30 liras.
Van Sea
How many million times have I told Özkan, “I’m not interested in where everyone goes” If I said, “Let’s go to a place where only the public knows,” I find myself on the way to St.Thomas Church. On the Gevaş road, when you see the sign for three villages where the Altınsaç Village is right after the oil, you should immediately turn right from the main road and turn into the village roads.
Our path crosses with a villager.. Emmim, who we took to the village, says he will look for the lost sheep and immediately says to us, “Is there any bread and water? let’s bring it with you”. I’m already born to live these. I love eastern hospitality.
Although the village roads are quite bad, it takes me to such a view next to Van Lake that I get tired of saying “stop photo” every minute.. Against the mountains, clouds like cotton make fire in the lake during the daytime. Turtle paradise around the lake. As you move around the lake, the color of the lake changes from color to color.. Different colors everywhere.
I think I understand why the people of Van call the lake the sea.. Now the lake is the sea in me. Lake Van is the largest soda lake in the world and also the largest lake in Turkey.. A lake thought to have been formed by the accumulated waters in the crater formed by the eruption of Nemrut volcanic mountain.. It has salty and soda water.
Pearl mullets live in the lake. It is a species that lives only in this lake in the world.. In the first week of May, they struggle to reproduce in the fresh water way because fish eggs cannot survive in soda water.. In this struggle, such images are obtained that the flying fish has even taken the name of pearl mullet.. It even has a festival held in June.
St Thomas Church
Saint Thomas is on a hill overlooking the heirs bay in the northeast of Beleko mountain, 5 km northwest of Altınsaç Village in the Gevaş district of Van. Although the exact date of construction of the church, which was built for the protection of sacred objects, is not known, it is reported that it was built by the high priest Kirakos in 1581.
As you jump from view to view on the coast of Van Sea, jumping on those broken roads Located on a hill right after Altınsaç Village, St.. Thomas Church. It would be very difficult to go here without your private vehicle.. We leave the car downstairs and start walking.
Looks like we’re close but it looks like we’re going to climb quite a bit. They made a dirt road. My friend says that road has just opened. By car if he knew St.. We could get very close to the Thomas Church. I also love to walk such paths.. It gets pretty steep after a certain point.
We can now see Lake Van from a bird’s eye view. The view is magnificent. It’s not like that, it’s really delicious. After climbing the hills and installing the camera to shoot the video of the clouds dancing, we go for exploration.. Get inside, climb to the top and do all this with the most unlikely shoes again Spring.
I’m like Alice in Wonderland. Clouds above me, a blue sky competes with the blue of Lake Van. A church that has stood for centuries in such a landscape, such loneliness still clings to life, still hard to reach. After we fill our lungs with the beautiful scenery and fill our lungs, we start the descent.
I was out of breath on the way out. The hill has a very steep angle. So hard to come down. It looks like you’re about to roll. We just went down oh now I feel a lack while I’m happy that we’re on the straight road. I forgot my jacket upstairs. My friend says let me buy a new one, but I don’t have any other jacket with me.
Until I get my hardware.. I have to climb again. While going down, Özkan mentioned a path.. He said, “If I come again, I will get out of here”. I said to myself “I won’t get out anyhow”, it didn’t take ten minutes to climb again. This has happened to me before. It means that it is necessary not to think as much as not to talk big.. I didn’t have a heart attack there that day or I don’t think I would die again.
Luckily my friend came to pick me up but I didn’t walk the rest of the way.. On the way back, we take a family to the main road.. The cute little girl is so beautiful with yellow flowers in her hand. Around here, what we call hitchhiking in the modern world is done so beautifully and naturally.. People are not afraid of taking a stranger in their car around here.
Akdamar Island
Akdamar Island Gevaş on the way. When you get on the Gevaş vehicles, it must be stopped here.. Boats will take us to the island. Round-trip fee when you pay 15 liras. On the way to the island, of course, I take the helm of the boat.. Was I going to say that I got on the boat in the Van Sea, but I didn’t use it?
It takes a short time anyway. The weather is so beautiful to me. Since Özkan is here once a week, he wants to go and have tea.. I’m flying like a butterfly. There are still flowers on the trees on the island. The church looks so majestic. Entry 10 lira. Museum card and İşbank maximum cards can be used as museum cards.
It was built by the monk Manuel between 915-921 by Vaspurakan King I. Gagik in the name of the holy cross.. The purpose of having the church built was 7 years after it was smuggled from Jerusalem to Iran.. It is to preserve a part of the Genuine Cross brought to Van in the 16th century.. The church was later used as a monastery.
There is a legend of Akdamar island of course. In ancient times, an Armenian chief monk and his famous daughter Tamar lived here.. This is a shepherd in love with Tamar. The shepherd swam to the island at night.. Tamar was waiting for him with a lantern, too.
The monk, who learned this, changed the place of the lantern light on a stormy night, causing the shepherd to drown.. His last words before he drowned were to shout “Ah Tamar”. Hearing this, Tamar threw herself into the water.. After that day, the island began to be called Ah Tamar, and it has been Akdamar until today.
Time to climb again after touring around and inside.. I will always remember Van like this anyway.. We go up to the hills and watch the island and the church from above.. It shows us a magnificent view with the Artos mountain behind it.. Pay attention to the time of the last ferry, so you don’t run for the last breath like us.. The day is setting on the lake with a magnificent view.
Van Nights
We are breathing with Özkan’s friends at night. There is a street of bars in Van. Youth having fun. Music is coming from everywhere.. I love the concept of the bar where we are. The phone booth my brother called in London is inside this bar.
Fidel, Che, Frida are having a toast at a table. We sit and chat with the teachers living in Van. Such sweet people.
We are so tired that we refuse the girls’ offer to move elsewhere.. we need to rest. Because we are on the road again the next day.
Van Cat House
We got up early again. We also take our breath away from Yedisu Börekçisi in the center.. I can’t explain how delicious the pastries were.. Be sure to stop by and eat. I know my diet has been a lie.
One of the van rituals in Van is to visit the Van Cat House.. Entrance to the cat house inside the Yüzüncü Yıl University campus is 1.5 liras.. If you buy a 4 lira wet food, you can go inside the cage and love it.. Cats are pretty hungry. Van cats are a species that can only live in Van.
Their production is under control.. They are famous for having blue eyes and one with yellow eyes, but not every born is born with this feature.. You can buy blue-eyed people for 500 liras and yellow-eyed ones for 300 liras.. Two color eyes are not sold. Few cats are born this way anyway.
Muradiye Waterfall
Is there anyone who doesn’t know my love for waterfalls? We are on our way to Muradiye waterfall.. Those who will go to Muradiye Waterfall by public transport should take the Çaldıran minibuses.. Waterfall is after Muradiye district because. This is the most common mistake.. Private car parking is 5 lira, no matter how many people you are.
The land that goes to the waterfall belongs to private people.. They paid the price for the pass and parking too.. Crossing to Muradiye Waterfall with a suspension bridge. It’s so crowded because it’s Sunday.. Everywhere is full of people picnicking. Families are very large. Because of the season, the waterfall is flowing loudly.. In winter, this waterfall freezes.
One cannot believe that a waterfall that flows so strongly can freeze.. We enter the photo queue from the viewing terraces. Then we enjoy. When we go down, we cross over the log thrown on the stream.. There are also smaller waterfalls in the back.
The interesting thing is that we can’t find where this water came from.. It is said to come from under the ground.
Van İskele
Ozkan, who has chores on the way back, drops me on the Iskele road. When I say can I walk to the pier, he says the place he downloaded is Turkey’s longest straight street.. 7 km. I’m glad I listened to him and got on the minibus.. Iskele street leads to a huge park. There, too, all the lawns are infested with picnickers.
I find the fishermen on the boat by asking questions.. There are two boats. My goal is to taste the famous pearl mullet. I pay 10 liras for a drink and fish and bread on the boat with a view of the castle.
To be honest, I couldn’t quite enjoy the onion, parsley and bitter trio in it, but the onion mixture tasted good.. After performing this ritual, I set out for the castle of Van, which I see from afar.
Van Castle
If I asked anyone, they describe the way to the castle I saw from the other side.. He insists that you can’t pass there. I’m listening too. While walking to the minibus, I have the opportunity to taste the herbs that I have seen in the wheelbarrows for days.. It is also called mountain banana, but in every region they call it uşkun, although it has a different name.
The root of wild grass collected from the mountain is a kind of. The seller peels off the husky and offers it to me. It is salted and eaten. I loved. has a sour taste similar to green plum. Since the seller I wanted to pay for did not take money, I did not think to ask for the price, but Özkan said that it costs 30 liras per kilo. I get on another minibus from the pier and get off at Koç Primary School.. I need to get on the minibus again, but I’m bored.
I get on another minibus from the pier and get off at Koç Primary School. Need to take the minibus again but I’m bored. I’ll walk the rest. It’s 15 minutes away. While walking, an elderly aunt says mashallah. She’s so sweet, she’s an aunt I want to photograph, but she doesn’t get her picture taken. He’s chasing me. Van Castle looks at me in all its splendor on the hill in a very large area.. No matter what I ask, I cannot reach the main gate of the castle.
Two children follow me by saying that they will guide me by the tomb.. Afterwards, I follow them, of course, but they take me on such roads and cheat me in such a way that I don’t know how I didn’t roll over there, how I didn’t go crazy.. Actually, I think I’m going to have a short period of insanity.. I’m trying to turn back the way I came and reach the front of the castle. While the children say that there is a renovation at the gate and I cannot enter, someone else says that the castle does not have a door.
How can this castle not have a door when there is a fact called the castle gate?. I said I’d make a sunset from the top of the castle, nothing happened to me. My shoes are still not suitable for this job and I’m climbing again. I will always remember Van as a place I climbed.. I need help when someone returns. He takes me down but this time he doesn’t let me go. I jump off a wall in a blink of an eye and lose my track.
Old Van
My aim is to go to the Seljuk minarets where the old Van is, which I see from above.. I saw from above that someone had climbed to the top of those ruined minarets.. two Ottoman mosques were restored, two Seljuk minarets were abandoned to their fate.. I couldn’t get to the castle, I’m after the minaret to get that sunset. I did it and you don’t.
I must admit that I wasn’t thinking very rationally at that moment.. Alone, I’m climbing again inside a pitch-black tower with collapsed steps. I don’t know how I galloped when I heard the voice of a group of men behind me.. I couldn’t even be alone here. Someone just came. We are 4-5 people in that place where there is no place to put our feet.. When they try to leave right away, this time I follow them.. How can I get off otherwise.
I have a handbag like a suitcase with me. I was left in dust on one side. One of the boys is helping me even if his other friends are angry. A security guard is waiting downstairs and he’s glad he did.. It was forbidden to enter and exit there, and after a certain time, that area was not very safe.. I want to take a photo, there is no phone. Attendant is looking for but not available. Let’s look inside the minaret, we say that it fell at the top.
I don’t know how I would get there again if he hadn’t come.. He takes my phone out and takes me around the area and safely takes me out of that area.. Do not go alone to the old Van area at night. At that time, Özkan, who is curious about me, is calling.. He takes me to a silversmith who supposedly takes me to the minibus.. I didn’t know what to say. Everyone is worried about money.
Okay, very nice products, but every time I ask for a flight ticket to Europe. Come tell me the situation. When I go out for the minibus, this time I see a young boy in a shalwar turban waiting for me, even though they took me out.. I took the minibus and went, but I don’t know how it happened, he got on the minibus in a very far place. He was behind, how he went forward and got on the minibus.
I’m either dreaming or I’m in the forties. I’m trying to reach Özkan. They’re eating künefe with a traveler friend, but I’m busy trying to get past my chasing. Luckily, when I dive into the shops or something, he leaves me and I’m on my way to the best künefe I’ve ever eaten in my life.. What we eat in Istanbul is definitely not künefe or anything else I ate there.. I neither climbed, nor ran, nor wandered around today.
Inci Kefali Primary School and its Wonderful Teachers Özkan Çörek
My last day in Van. In the afternoon, I will go to Tatvan for the Van Lake express.. I want to see Özkan’s students on my last morning.. I brought them little gifts. Do not carry much with a backpack. They’re so sweet and so shy. When you go to Anatolia, be sure to take something small with you.. Making a child happy means the world. I wish I could do more.
There’s a reason to come to Van every season. Opening period of almond flowers and pearl mullet migration in early May. I came a little late to one of the seasons and early to the other, but I never regret it.. I saw a diving club in the Van Sea. It didn’t happen this time, but next time I definitely have to come to dive.
It was diving into historical ruins under the water.. I can’t miss this. I’m leaving earlier than planned because I miscalculated the time and the train doesn’t come every day.. I didn’t expect it to be this beautiful. I’m leaving with my mind in Van, but I’ll come again
