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

Aerial view of housing, fields and trees along a turquoise lakeshore

Erciş beside the lake

The lake, waterfront neighbourhoods and green fields together.

Source: Erciş Municipality / Van Olay

An Erciş sign and decorative windmill beside the lake, with snowy mountains beyond

Erciş by the shore

Erciş waterfront road, 2021. The Erciş sign beside the lake, with mountains beyond.

Source: Yollar Bitmez / Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0Resized for the web.

Pink-legged flamingos standing in shallow blue water, with a waterbird in the foreground

Flamingos in the shallows

Flamingos gathered in shallow water, from the district governor’s nature photographs.

Source: Erciş District Governor’s Office

Pearl mullet jumping upwards through white water

Against the current

Pearl mullet leaping against the current.

Source: Erciş District Governor’s Office

Long curtains of ice hanging from the cliffs of Koçköprü Canyon, with snow and a person photographing the formations.

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.

Source: TRT Haber / Anadolu Agency

Festival participants riding horses through Ulupamir in traditional headwear and clothing.

Festival in Ulupamir

Riders at Ulupamir’s 40th Year Culture Festival, from the TRT Haber gallery published on 22 August 2022.

Source: TRT Haber — gallery: Necmettin Karaca

Three women preparing dough on a low wooden table inside a tent decorated with patterned textiles.

Preparing food in Ulupamir

Preparing dough in traditional clothing in Ulupamir. From TRT Avaz’s Ulupamir gallery; the capture date is not specified.

Source: TRT Avaz

Kadem Paşa Hatun Tomb

Kadem Paşa Hatun Tomb in a snow-covered setting.

Source: Erciş District Governor’s Office

An earlier view of Zortul

Zortul in the Cultural Portal inventory entry added in 2013. The photograph’s capture date is not specified.

Source: Türkiye Cultural Portal

Zortul Tomb with a pale roof, carved stone body and a paved courtyard.

Zortul after restoration

Zortul Tomb with its renewed roof and landscaped surroundings. Google Maps dates the photograph to January 2025.

Source: Seyyah Çiftci / Google Maps

Excavated stone walls, soil sections and surrounding slopes at Zernaki Tepe, seen from above.

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.

Source: Anadolu Agency

Weathered gravestones bearing carved inscriptions and patches of lichen at Çelebibağı Cemetery, with Lake Van behind them.

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.

Source: Servet Uygun / Türkiye Cultural Portal

The ruined stone walls of Erciş Castle beneath a clear blue sky

Traces of old Erciş

Surviving sections of the walls of Erciş Castle.

Source: Van Olay

View from the lake towards a white lighthouse, a waterfront square and housing under cloudy skies

A day by the water

A waterfront square, a small white lighthouse and nearby housing.

Source: ABC Gazetesi

Around the lake

Blue Lake Aygır, open shore slopes and the broad shape of Mount Süphan beyond

Aygır below Mount Süphan

Mount Süphan from Lake Aygır in Adilcevaz, 2009.

Source: Kronn / Wikimedia Commons CC BY 3.0Resized for the web.

A white Van cat with different-coloured eyes standing on a patterned rug

The Van cat

A Van cat with one blue eye and one amber-toned eye, 2015.

Source: Ex13 / Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0Resized for the web.

Lake Nemrut and the caldera slopes seen beyond green vegetation

A lake within Nemrut

The lake and volcanic slopes inside Nemrut caldera in Bitlis, 2016.

Source: Nur Çağlar / Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0Resized for the web.

Muradiye Waterfall cascading over rocks surrounded by trees

Flowing water at Muradiye

Muradiye Waterfall, Van, 2018. A separate outing east of Erciş.

Source: Ben Men Lyun / Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0Resized for the web.

Bendimahi Bridge with two pointed arches and light and dark stone courses in a green plain, with mountains behind it.

The two arches of Bendimahi

Historic Bendimahi Bridge in Muradiye, from the provincial tourism directorate’s archive. Photographer and capture date are not specified.

Source: Van Provincial Directorate of Culture and Tourism

Akdamar Island with its rocky hill and lakeside church on Lake Van

Akdamar from the lake

Akdamar Island seen from Lake Van, 2008. The island lies off Gevaş.

Source: Mevlüt Kılıç / Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 3.0Resized for the web.

Tall Ahlat gravestones among grass and tree branches

Ahlat’s memory in stone

Ahlat Seljuk Cemetery, Bitlis, 2010. This view is of Ahlat, not Çelebibağı.

Source: Dosseman / Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0Resized for the web.

Lake Van at sunset with Mount Süphan in the distance, photographed from Edremit

Along the same lakeshore

Lake Van and Mount Süphan from Edremit, 2020. A view of the wider Lake Van region.

Source: Hazreti madem19 / Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0Resized for the web.

From vineyard to table

A bunch of dark grapes hanging among green vine leaves

A bunch from the vine

Erciş grapes among green vine leaves.

Source: Erciş District Governor’s Office

Erciş cabbages with pale green heads surrounded by broad grey-green outer 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.

Source: Anadolu Agency / TRT Haber

A Van breakfast spread with tea, bread, cheese, eggs and small dishes

A breakfast table

A Van breakfast table, 2011. Part of the region’s shared food culture.

Source: Tanyel / Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 3.0Resized for the web.

Keledoş topped with pieces of meat in a blue floral plate on a colourful patterned tablecloth.

A plate of keledoş

Keledoş served with meat on top, from Anadolu Agency’s “Memleket Sofrası” feature published on 21 February 2026.

Source: Anadolu Agency

Pieces of herbed cheese on wood, with two tomato wedges and a green pepper.

Herbed cheese at the table

A serving of herbed cheese with tomato and green pepper.

Source: Gültekin Peynircilik — product photograph

Cooked fish on pilaf with ayran aşı, tomato salad, radishes and spring onions.

A salted fish meal

Salted fish served with pilaf and ayran aşı, alongside salad and fresh greens.

Reader submission — photographer not yet identified

Ayran aşı with visible green herbs in a metal bowl on a wooden tray.

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.

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