Van is a city with a short name, a long history, and numerous interesting things to see, especially if you like history and natural beauty. Or cats.
 
Located on the eastern shore of Lake Van, the city of Van (VAHN, pop. 400,000, alt. 1727 meters/5666 feet) has been here for a very long time.
 
The Rock of Van, the ancient fortress and funeral monument around which a later citadel was built, bears cuneiform inscriptions dating from the Kingdom of Urartu (c. 1300-700 BC--here's a Timeline). Beside the citadel, the ruins of the old town of Van, built atop the ruins of ancient Urartian town of Tushpa, lie beneath a carpet of grass.
 
Besides the local museum, the Rock of Van and the citadel, you should visit the Church of the Holy Cross on Akdamar Island, the Urartian ruins at Çavustepe, 25 km (16 miles) SE of Van, and the dramatic Kurdish fortress at Hosap, 33 km (21 miles) farther to the SE. In your travels, you may even see a Van cat. You'll know it by its white fur, eyes of different colors, and love of swimming (of all things).

Lake Van is the largest lake in Turkey (1.646 meters high and covers an area of 3.713 km2) and provides good opportunities for enjoyable excursions. You may go trekking or hunting in the mountains surrounding it, especially Mount Süphan, the second highest mountain in Turkey after Mount Ararat. Alternatively you may head for on the beach, or visit the Urartian sites and Turkish cultural centres. The islands on the lake are also interesting, most of them housing many monasteries and churches. The most important of these is the Akdamar Island with its 10th century church of Holy Cross. The church is now restored as a museum and its richly decorated walls have Old Testament reliefs. After visiting the museum you may rest at the beneath lakeside the almond trees, where there are good opportunities for picnicking and swimming. Carpanak Island is also interesting and deserves a visit. Hosab, 67 kms east, has a magnificent old fortress fronted by huge walls. At Çavustepe, there is an Urartian site, which is 25 kms from Van on the Hakkari road.
 
Very few people know Tirsin pasture in Van. The rocky area of this 2.400 meters high pasture is an open air museum. There are thousands of pictures on thousands of rocks: Schematic pictures of taurus, bison dating back to ages between mezolithic times and bronze age. These pictures created by the hunters support the thesis that the area was thickly forested in prehistoric times.

Van, city in eastern Turkey, the capital of Van province. Located at an elevation of 1750 m (5750 ft), the city lies on the eastern shore of Van Gölü (Lake Van), the biggest lake in Turkey, and about 80 km (about 50 mi) west of the border with Iran. Mountainous terrain, harsh winters, and the salinity of Van Gölü restrain agricultural development in the region. However, there is a notable production of fruit, particularly north of the city around Van Gölü. Recently developed cross-border trade with Iran has improved Van's economic significance to the neighboring regions and provinces. Ferry service to Tatvan on the lake's western shore connects Van to a major railway. The Van Museum (founded in 1972) has a collection of local kilims (flat-woven tapestries) as well as ancient archaeological finds. Centennial University (founded in 1982) was named in commemoration of the centennial anniversary of the birth of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of modern Turkey. The modern city of Van is 5 km (3 mi) east of the site of old Van, one of the earliest known settlements in what is now Turkey. Known as Tushpa, the city was the capital of the powerful Urartu kingdom between the 13th and 8th centuries BC. In succeeding years Van was under the control of the Armenians, Persians, Byzantines, Arabs, Seljuks, and Ottomans. Old Van was completely destroyed by the end of World War I (1914-1918) after being occupied by Russian forces and modern Van was built to replace it after the war. Population (1996 estimate) 207,666.

The old town of Van was burned by Ottoman forces in 1915 as they retreated before a Russian army which had invaded Ottoman territory in support of Armenian revolutionaries. The Russians held the town until 1917, when the Russian Empire itself suffered revolution and collapse.
 
The modern city of Van grew up 5 km (3 miles) inland from the lakeshore and the Rock of Van during the 20th century, with wide boulevards and town planning. Because it has the best hotels, restaurants, transportation and other services, Van is the best base for explorations of the region.
 
Van is an important stop on my Recommended Itinerary of Eastern Turkey. It's a long way from western Turkey by bus or car, and an even longer trip by train, so if you're coming directly you'll want to fly. Turkish Airlines has a daily flight from Istanbul, and two from Ankara.

 Van`s City Citadel

 Van Lake

 Ancient Van City 

 Van Lake

 Van City

 Van City

 Van City

 Ancient Van City