Difference between revisions of "Eastern Anatolia"

Revision as of 23:31, 5 February 2010

Eastern Anatolia (Turkish: Doğu Anadolu) is a region in Turkey. It occupies the mountainous east of the country and has the harshest winters.

Provinces

• Ağrı Province
• Ardahan Province
• Bingöl Province
• Bitlis Province
• Elazığ Province
• Erzincan Province
• Erzurum Province
• Hakkâri Province
• Iğdır Province
• Kars Province
• Malatya Province
• Muş Province
• Tunceli Province
• Van Province

Cities

• Darende
• Dogubeyazit - town on Iranian border, fascinating Ishak Pasa Palace is located nearby.
• Erzincan
• Erzurum - biggest city of the region, near Palandöken Ski Centre.
• Kars - city in northeast, with interesting Russian architecture.
• Malatya
• Muş
• Tatvan - on the western coast of Lake Van, eastern terminus of railway from Istanbul, with ferry connections to Van and then on to Iran.
• Van - city on the eastern coast of Lake Van, with some remnants from Urartu civilization and some Armenian monasteries, too.

Other destinations

• Ani - the old Armenian capital
• Nemrut Dagi Mountain - a UNESCO World Heritage site, with statues on its summit

Understand

Covering an area in which you can fit in four Switzerlands with still some more room, but with a population of just over 6 million, Eastern Anatolia is all about vast landscapes of mountainous terrain, with occasional flat-ish plateau inflitrated inbetween.

Talk

In the eastern and southeastern areas (near Iranian border and around Lake Van) of the region, the mother tongue of most locals is Kurdish. However most locals, especially younger ones, are also bilingual in Turkish, although heavily accented in most cases.

Zaza may also be heard in certain locales.

Get in

Get around

See

• Muradiye Waterfalls (Muradiye Şelalesi). A quite large waterfall, usually getting frozen in winter. It is north of Muradiye, which is about 80 km north of Van, off the highway to Doğubeyazıt.

Do

Eat

Drink

Stay safe

Get out