Ağrı

Agri and Eastern Anatolian Region
Agri, a provincial capital on a 1650 meter-high plateau, takes its name from the mountain which looms over it. The pleasant Balik (Fish) Lake to the northeast, not surprisingly hasplenty of fish restaurants serving local delicacies. Thermal springs bubble up all over the area. For those who want a hardy outdoorevent,visit the Bubi Dagì Ski Center, 20 km southwest of Agri, for a few days of snow sport.

Do not miss the spectacular site of The Ishak Pasha palace, only 6 km from Dogubayazit. Ishak Pasha, Ottoman governor of the province, constructed the palace in the 17th-century in a mixture of architectural styles. Nearby you can see a bas-relief of an Urartian king, and a rock tomb from the ninth century B.C.

Near Dogubeyazit, Türkiye's most scenic natural monument, Mount Agri rises to a height of 5137 meters. To see the place where it is thought that Noah's Ark came aground, go to Uzengili village, 25 km east of Dogubeyazit. Be sure to try the local dessert asure (Noah's pudding), believed to have first been made by Noah's wife from the last bits of food in the Ark.
The Toros (Taurus) Mountains which parallel Türkiye's southernborder, and the Black Sea Mountains in the north join together to form a mighty mountain range which defines the country'seasternborder. The tremendous diversity of the eastern and Southeasternlands surprises travellers : the red-ochre plateau of Erzurum;the forests, waterfalls, and green pastures of Kars and Agri; the permanent snow-cap on biblical Mount Agri (Ararat) ;the vast Lake Van with its deep blue waters. Dwellings and modes of life also vary greatly in this large region. Small, earth-roofedhouses, built close to the ground typify houses around Kars. Despitea generally austere life, the people of the area are generousand hospitable.
The region's long and turbulent history has left monuments toits various civilizations.: Byzantine monasteries and churches, Seljuk mausoleums and caravanserais, elegant Ottoman mosquesand hilltop citadels. To the inveterate travellerand lover ofadventure, this region of Türkiye fascinates, astonishes and informs.
The national highway, the great trans-Anatolian axis road is, the most direct route between Ankara and Iranian border, and passes through Sivas, Erzincan, Erzurum, Agri, and Dogubeyazit.
The most direct route to this region is the Central Anatolian Highway that passes through Kayseri, Malatya, Elazig, Bingol, Mus, Van and on to Iran, via Hakkari.