By the lake.
Close to home.

For those discovering Erciş, starting a new life here, or missing it from afar.

Aerial view of housing, fields and trees along a turquoise lakeshore — The lake, waterfront neighbourhoods and green fields together.

Erciş at a glance.

Lake Van at sunset with Mount Süphan in the distance, photographed from Edremit — Lake Van and Mount Süphan from Edremit, 2020. A view of the wider Lake Van region.

A green plain by the lake

Erciş spreads across a broad plain on the northern shore of Lake Van, about 100 kilometres from Van city centre. Orchards, poplars and a well-watered plain give it the nickname “Green Erciş”. The Zilan and Deliçay rivers are part of this landscape. Farming, livestock and fishing remain important to everyday life.

Traces of the Urartians

Its history reaches back to the Urartians, whose inscriptions and irrigation channels survive in the area. Erciş later became a centre of the Karakoyunlu state. Rising lake water prompted a move inland from the old fortress in 1841. Erciş Castle and the Kadem Paşa Hatun tomb offer two starting points for exploring this history.

Pearl mullet and migrating birds

Spring brings the pearl mullet migration. These fish leave the salty, alkaline waters of Lake Van to spawn in freshwater. The journey, usually from late April to late June, can be seen in the Deliçay river. Wetlands along the Çelebibağı and Kasımbağı shores also welcome flamingos, herons and other migratory birds.

Autumn in the vineyards

The small, slightly tart Erciş grape has held geographical indication registration in Türkiye since 2020. References to vineyards here go back to Urartian inscriptions. Autumn’s harvest is eaten fresh or used to make grape juice and pekmez, a thick grape molasses.

The home of Emrah

Ercişli Emrah was a seventeenth-century folk poet whose verse explores love, separation and nature. Emrah and Selvi is a folk story passed down through generations. Alongside the lake, vineyards and historic buildings, these poems and stories are part of getting to know Erciş.

District boundary© OpenStreetMap

Some places
stay with us.

A street, a snow-covered roof, the lake in the distance. Towns change; photographs hold a moment still. See Erciş through the things we remember.

Browse the photographs

An Erciş sign and decorative windmill beside the lake, with snowy mountains beyond — Erciş waterfront road, 2021. The Erciş sign beside the lake, with mountains beyond.

Sometimes “home” is a way of seeing, as much as a place.

Traces of old Erciş

Muradiye Waterfall cascading over rocks surrounded by trees — Muradiye Waterfall, Van, 2018. A separate outing east of Erciş.

Look a little further around.

The rush of Muradiye’s water, the lake within Nemrut, Akdamar’s shore, Ahlat’s carved stones and a curious Van cat. Leave room for the distinct stories around the lake as you get to know Erciş.

Explore the Lake Van region

Find your way,
a little faster.

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By the lake.Close to home.