A little piece of home.
Lake blue, vineyard green, a tomb in the snow. A selection from Erciş and the surrounding region, to discover and remember.
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Views of Erciş
Erciş beside the lake
The lake, waterfront neighbourhoods and green fields together.
Erciş by the shore
Erciş waterfront road, 2021. The Erciş sign beside the lake, with mountains beyond.
Source: Yollar Bitmez / Wikimedia CommonsCC BY-SA 4.0Resized for the web.
Flamingos in the shallows
Flamingos gathered in shallow water, from the district governor’s nature photographs.
Against the current
Pearl mullet leaping against the current.
Curtains of ice at Koçköprü
Icicles in Koçköprü Canyon, from TRT Haber’s gallery published on 12 February 2025. A separate capture date is not given.
Festival in Ulupamir
Riders at Ulupamir’s 40th Year Culture Festival, from the TRT Haber gallery published on 22 August 2022.
Preparing food in Ulupamir
Preparing dough in traditional clothing in Ulupamir. From TRT Avaz’s Ulupamir gallery; the capture date is not specified.
Kadem Paşa Hatun Tomb
Kadem Paşa Hatun Tomb in a snow-covered setting.
An earlier view of Zortul
Zortul in the Cultural Portal inventory entry added in 2013. The photograph’s capture date is not specified.
Zortul after restoration
Zortul Tomb with its renewed roof and landscaped surroundings. Google Maps dates the photograph to January 2025.
Zernaki from above
An aerial view of the excavation area at Zernaki Tepe, from Anadolu Agency’s report published on 9 December 2023. The capture date is not specified.
Memory in stone at Çelebibağı
Inscribed stones at Çelebibağı Seljuk Cemetery with Lake Van behind them. Archive photograph by Servet Uygun; the capture date is not specified.
Traces of old Erciş
Surviving sections of the walls of Erciş Castle.
A day by the water
A waterfront square, a small white lighthouse and nearby housing.
Around the lake
Looking out over the lake from Adilcevaz
A mosque, the coastal road and Lake Van in Adilcevaz. Photograph uploaded to Wikimedia Commons by Kamucu13 in 2023.
Source: Kamucu13 / Wikimedia CommonsCC BY-SA 4.0Resized for the web.
The palace above the plain
Ishak Pasha Palace and the plain behind it in Doğubayazıt. Archive photograph by W. Bulach, 28 June 2006.
Source: W. Bulach / Wikimedia CommonsCC BY-SA 4.0Resized for the web.
Aygır below Mount Süphan
Mount Süphan from Lake Aygır in Adilcevaz, 2009.
Source: Kronn / Wikimedia CommonsCC BY 3.0Resized for the web.
The Van cat
A Van cat with one blue eye and one amber-toned eye, 2015.
Source: Ex13 / Wikimedia CommonsCC BY-SA 4.0Resized for the web.
A lake within Nemrut
The lake and volcanic slopes inside Nemrut caldera in Bitlis, 2016.
Source: Nur Çağlar / Wikimedia CommonsCC BY-SA 4.0Resized for the web.
Flowing water at Muradiye
Muradiye Waterfall, Van, 2018. A separate outing east of Erciş.
Source: Ben Men Lyun / Wikimedia CommonsCC BY-SA 4.0Resized for the web.
The two arches of Bendimahi
Historic Bendimahi Bridge in Muradiye, from the provincial tourism directorate’s archive. Photographer and capture date are not specified.
Akdamar from the lake
Akdamar Island seen from Lake Van, 2008. The island lies off Gevaş.
Source: Mevlüt Kılıç / Wikimedia CommonsCC BY-SA 3.0Resized for the web.
Ahlat’s memory in stone
Ahlat Seljuk Cemetery, Bitlis, 2010. This view is of Ahlat, not Çelebibağı.
Source: Dosseman / Wikimedia CommonsCC BY-SA 4.0Resized for the web.
Along the same lakeshore
Lake Van and Mount Süphan from Edremit, 2020. A view of the wider Lake Van region.
Source: Hazreti madem19 / Wikimedia CommonsCC BY-SA 4.0Resized for the web.
Memory and solidarity
Search and rescue after the 2011 earthquake
An AKUT rescuer and search dog after the Van earthquake, 25 October 2011. The source does not identify the exact location within Van province.
Source: AKUT / Wikimedia CommonsCC BY-SA 3.0Resized for the web.
Know the crops · illustrative photograph
Sugar beet
Harvested sugar beets. This photograph illustrates the crop and was taken in Vlissegem, Belgium, on 30 October 2010; it does not show Erciş.
Source: Hans Hillewaert / Wikimedia CommonsCC BY-SA 3.0Resized for the web.
From vineyard to table
A bunch from the vine
Erciş grapes among green vine leaves.
Kelem in the field
Erciş cabbages in the field, from TRT Haber’s registration report published on 22 November 2024. The capture date is not specified.
A breakfast table
A Van breakfast table, 2011. Part of the region’s shared food culture.
Source: Tanyel / Wikimedia CommonsCC BY-SA 3.0Resized for the web.
A plate of keledoş
Keledoş served with meat on top, from Anadolu Agency’s “Memleket Sofrası” feature published on 21 February 2026.
Herbed cheese at the table
A serving of herbed cheese with tomato and green pepper.
A salted fish meal
Salted fish served with pilaf and ayran aşı, alongside salad and fresh greens.
Reader submission — photographer not yet identified
A bowl of ayran aşı
Ayran aşı served in a metal bowl.
Reader submission — photographer not yet identified
Erciş through your eyes.
Send a photograph you took or have permission to share, with its location, date if known and the name you would like credited. A few words about the moment are welcome too. We’ll get in touch before publishing.
An old market scene, a school memory, a grape harvest or a family meal: we would like to preserve everyday memories of Erciş too. If the back of an album photograph names a photographer or carries a studio stamp or date, include that information. There is no need to guess what you do not know.
You can also send an old place name, a family recipe or a story you remember, even without a photograph. Include the period and location. We do not publish private contact details; we will agree the credit and permission to share with you.
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