Spiritual Routes
Noah’s Ark
Van Tuşpa – Doğubeyazıt – Durupınar – Sağlıksuyu – Ağrı
In almost all beliefs, it is mentioned that the ship is sitting on a rock on the top of a mountain. Famous as the final stop of Noah’s Ark, the legend of Mount Ağrı (Ararat) has been known for millennia. Its peaks of 5,137 and 3,895 meters were revered by the people of ancient Urartu (13th-7th centuries BCE) who gave their name (Urartu = Ararat) to the mountain. With the dazzling views of Mount Ağrı over Doğubeyazıt İshak Paşa Palace, you can follow the traces of countless travelers who searched Noah's Arc throughout history and be involved in this quest.
From İstanbul to Ani
İstanbul – Maçka, Trabzon – Van
The multicultural heritage of Türkiye dates back thousands of years and bears witness to the continuous settlement of civilizations and people of different faiths. Local cultures merged through commercial routes and language, literature, music, architecture, and almost every aspect of culture.
Following the conquest of Constantinople by Sultan Mehmet, Armenians from Anatolian villages settled in the town of Samatya within the domain of historical İstanbul. Many of İstanbul’s Armenian churches are found in this region that faces the Marmara Sea. The majority of the local Armenian population spread throughout the centuries across Central and Eastern Anatolia leaving behind a rich religious and cultural heritage. You can find the traces of the culture from İstanbul’s various churches to Kars in the ruins of the ancient city of Ani (Ani Harabeleri) located in northeast Türkiye, 42 kilometers from the city of Kars, on a secluded triangular plateau, to Akdamar Church (Akdamar Kilisesi) located on the Lake Van (Van Gölü).
Rock Climbing Routes
Cilo, Hakkari
The city of Hakkari, which gets quite cold in the winter, is located in the southeast of Türkiye.
Mount Cilo (Cilo Dağı) is the country’s second-highest mountain with an altitude of 4,135 meters. It’s called the “Climbing Heaven of Türkiye”. Navy blue glacial lakes, colorful endemic flowers, and breathtaking landscapes await you here. Hakkari is not a tourism center, but Mount Cilo promises to surprise climbing lovers!
Uzundere, Erzurum
Erzurum is one of the coldest cities in Türkiye so it comes as no surprise that it offers climbing on frozen waterfalls!
Erzurum offers nature lovers huge mountains for skiing and snowboarding, and many climbing routes. In winter, you can climb frozen waterfalls, and in summer, you can climb straight rocks. Don’t forget to join the International Ice Climbing Festival which is held here every January!
