Van, which has become the center of attention especially for tourists from Iran and domestic tourists in recent years; It offers many beauties to its visitors with its history, nature and lake.. In addition to its natural beauties, the city is one of the most important places in the region with its thousands of years of history.. The place that has become the symbol of Van in recent years and that we strongly recommend you to see is the “Akdamar Island“.. It is possible to observe a truly magnificent nature view, especially in spring, when the almond trees on the island bloom..
The value of the island has been high for the people of the region for thousands of years.. We can even understand the importance of the island, which has witnessed thousands of years of history, from the legends it contains.. We can clearly see in the sad stories told by the local people that the name “Akdamar” was not given to the island randomly. In addition to the fact that the island has such an ancient history, its appearance doomed to loneliness in the middle of Lake Van makes the magnificence of the whole island more meaningful, as it has a sad story.
Similar legends are told about the island in both Turkish and Armenian sources.. The legend, from which the name of the island was also taken, is as follows:
A Sad Story: The Legend of Akdamar Island
Akdamar, which draws attention with its beauty and history There is a very strong legend in the region about the island and its church.. The name of the island and the church comes from this legend.. The Legend is based on “Tamara”, the daughter of an Armenian Monk. Tamara is a girl who draws attention with her beauty and is legendary.. The story is that a shepherd living in a village on the coast of Van falls in love with Tamara.. Shepherd swims to the island every night and meets Tamara. Tamara secretly turns on a light at night to help her lover find his way.. One day, Tamara’s father finds out about this and while the shepherd swims at night, lights flash in various parts of the island.. The shepherd, who was disoriented and unable to swim, dies by drowning. Rumor has it that the shepherd shouts “Oh Tamara” before he dies.. Hearing this, Tamara kills herself by throwing herself into the water.. Based on this rumor, the island began to be called “Akdamar” after “Ah Tamara”. known. The area of the island is approximately 70 thousand square meters.. On some coasts of the island, there are cliffs up to 80 meters high.. There is a church on it, the construction of which dates back thousands of years. To get information about this church, which has been restored in recent years and where religious services are held, you can check our article: See Also. ⇒ Akdamar Church
You can reach the island after a 15-minute cruise on the blue lake by boat on the Gevaş coast. If you go to the island in spring, you can witness a view adorned with flowers of almond trees.. The thousand-year-old church on the island serves as a museum today.. We recommend you to explore this historical place in detail.. You can enter the church with a museum card, but if you do not have a card, there is a fee of 10 TL.. You can take a tour of the island after the church.. You can also sip your tea in front of this magnificent view at the cafe on the island.
History of Akdamar Island
According to the researches, it is estimated that the settlement of the island dates back to approximately 1,500 years ago.. Armenian in the Region I. Gagik Ardzrun founded a kingdom in and around Gevaş. again 10. At the beginning of the century, villages, palaces, bazaars, churches and ports were built on the island.. According to the researches, it was seen that the civilian settlement continued on the island until the 1600s.. The church on the island is also 20.. It served until the beginning of the century.
Where is Akdamar Island? How to Get to Akdamar Island?
The island, which offers a nature view with the flowers of almond trees in the middle of a deep blue lake, is located in the middle of Lake Van, about 15 minutes from the shore of Gevaş, the town of Van.. The distance of Gevaş to the center of Van is approximately 40 minutes.. It is possible to come to Gevaş by taking a minibus from the center of Van.. On the coast of Gevaş, you can reach the island with a fee of 15 TL.. A 15-minute boat ride on the blue waters of Lake Van will be waiting for you.. If you go in the spring, you can witness the scenery of the island adorned with flowers.. Those who will come to Gevaş with their private vehicles can use the “Google location” to reach the pier.
⇒ Places to Visit in Van ⇐