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Bitlis
Lake Adilcevaz
Ulu Mosque, Adilcevaz
Ahlat, Bitlis |
The
lively city of Bitlis, an important center of tobacco
production, stands in the middle of a green oasis. The city's
architecture uses the local dark stone, and the masonry
monuments include the Serefhan Medrese, the 12th-century Ulu
Mosque, the Seljuk Gokmeydani Mosque, and the Ottoman Serefiye
Mosque. Bitlis Ski center is close to the town's center. From
Tatvan on the western shore of Lake Van, you can take a
passenger and train ferry across thewater to Van. Nemrut Dagi
(Mount Nemrut) makes a challenging climb. In its center a deep
crater lake bubbles with volcanic hot springs.
The ruins of Ahlat, 44 km north of Tatvan on the west shore of
Lake Van, once an important city of Turkish art and culture,
are scattered today among more recent constructions. In the
12th century this city was the capital of the Turkish state
that ruled the Van Basin. Several mausoleums, notably the Ulu
Kumbet, the Bayindir Kumbet, the Hasan Pasha Kumbet and the
Cifte Kumbets offer a comprehensive overview of Seljuk
funerary architecture and decoration. In the Seljuk cemetry
are beautifully inscribed monumental tombstones from the 12th
century. The Turkish Art Museum houses a collection of
ceramics, ancient coins and jewelry. Modern Ahlat provides
lakeside tourist accomodation, beach facilities and
restaurants.
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As
you drive around the lake you come to Adilcevaz, where the Ulu
Mosque, built of the region's dark volcanic stone, stands on
the lake shore. Ten kilometers west of Adilcevaz is Kef
castle, and the nearby Urartian temple of Haldi dates from the
ninth century B.C. Artifacts from this site can be seen in the
Museum of Anatolian Civilizations in Ankara. The Adilcevaz
High School garden displayssome of the column bases.
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Beyma Mausoleum, Bitlis |
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