At the meeting of the Taurus and Black Sea Mountains, East Anatolia offers the Turkey less traveled, but always intriguing. At 6,000” high, the plateau city of Erzurum harbors the 5th century citadel built by Emperor Theodosius and the brilliant turquoise tile minarets of Yakutiye Madrese, built in 1310 by Mongol rulers of Persia.
Travelers venture to Kars (translated Snow) to view the black basalt Armenian Church of the Apostles, built in 932, and are further amazed by neighboring Ani, a 10th century Armenian city of hundreds of gates and thousands of churches, compared to Constantinople or Cairo in its time. Continue to Agri, named for the towering Mount Agri (Mount Ararat), the 16,843’ high mountain top thought to be where Noah’s Ark came to rest after the 40 days of rain.
Catch your breath on a boat tour around the immense volcanic 5740” high Lake Van. Disembark on Akhdamar Island to view the richly carved Old Testament scenes in the 10th century Armenian Church of the Holy Cross, designated a sacred pilgrimage site. In the town of Van, be sure to visit neighboring Hosap Castle, the best preserved and most picturesque Kurdish castle in Turkey.
