Things to Do in Van: Places and Attractions

It takes its name from Sultan Murad IV, who set out on the Baghdad campaign. The height of the waterfall is 18 m.

Hoşap Castle is a large 17th-century castle located in the village of Hoşab, Gürpınar District, Van, Turkey. It is at a distance of approximately 50 km to the city center of Van.

Nature & Adventure

Religious Sites

Ktuts monastery is an abandoned 15th century Armenian monastery on the small island of Ktuts in Lake Van, Vaspurakan which fell into ruins after the Armenian genocide beginning in 1915. According to tradition, the monastery was founded in the 4th century by Saint Gregory the Illuminator, after his return from Rome. It contained a hand of John the Baptist, which was kept in a reliquary now held at the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem.

Historic & Cultural

Amenapırgiç Monastery is a place of worship located east of Bahçesaray district in Van, above Acı Hanis village. It is situated at an altitude of 2100 meters, at the end of a small valley that opens to the Altındere Valley and extends to Çatak via the Nar Pass. The monastery's history dates back to the 10th century, and it also has a second church dedicated to Surp Garabed, believed to have been built between 1369 and 1395.

City Guides

The Church of the Holy Cross at Soradir is a 6th-century Armenian monastic complex in south-eastern Turkey. It is situated in the village of Yanal near the town and district of Başkale in Van Province.

Historic & Cultural

Religious Sites

Historic & Cultural

Nature & Adventure

Nature & Adventure

Nature & Adventure

Historic & Cultural

Historic & Cultural

Nature & Adventure

Karagündüz Höyük is a mound located 34 km northeast of the Van city center. The mound is on the west edge of the plain formed by the Memedik Stream, which flows into Erçek Lake, on the east-northeast shore of Erçek Lake, which falls to the east of Lake Van.

Historic & Cultural

Religious Sites

City Guides

Historic & Cultural

Eski Van is a historic site located at the southern base of Van Castle. This settlement, which grew around Tushpa, the capital of the Urartu Kingdom, became a fortified city approximately 800 years ago. It was once a bustling center filled with mosques, churches, bath houses, and shops. While visiting Eski Van, you can also explore Van Castle, which is 676 meters away, and Horhor Medresesi, located 158 meters away, on foot.