Buildings in Malatya

In the UNESCO World heritage site Arslantepe: Relief from Melid Kingdom (neo - Hittite Period) 1050 to 850BC - Libation (Offering): Storm God is illustrated on a chariot driven by the sacred bulls Serri and Hurri. Melidean King PUGNUS-milli offers a libation to him. Behind the king a servant is restraining a bull to be sacrified.

Melid Kingdom: Two demons of palace, depicted with a lion head and human body, face each other holding swords and thunderbolts in their hands. A tree of life stands between the demons.

Gate Lion of Melid City

Status of Melid King Mutallu - 8th century BC

Wall painting in the Arslantepe castle, dated 3350 to 3300BC

More wall paintings in Arslantepe

On the way to the statues of Nemrut Dagi Tumulus

Lakes of the river Euphrates in the east

Severed lion head on the west facade of Nemrut Dagi with the tumulus / burial mound - more than 2000 years old

Severed heads of Goddess of Commagene, God Apollo-Mithra-Helios-Hermes and God Zeus-Oromasdes on the west facade

Heads of Zeus-Oromasdes and a Persian Eagle

Head of Goddess of Commagene which is the only female figure on Nemrut Dagi

East facade thrones with severed heads of Apollo-Mithra-Helios-Hermes, Heracles-Artagnes-Ares, Persian eagle, and lion

Lady taking a picture of huge Van Lake on the saddle of Nemrut Dagi Gölü

Marion on the way to the peak Nemrut Dagi Gölü - Point 2792m at sunset

Lake Nemrut Gölü in the crater

City of Tetvan which lies on the western end of Van Lake

Saddle and Nemrut Dagi Gölü - Point 2792m seen in the first morning light

View into the huge crater of Nemrut Dagi Gölü - approx. 8km diameter

Turtle on the way to the main summit

More animals

Lava stones on the way to the main summit

Another huge lava stone

Lakes Nemrut Gölü seen from the last part of the ascent to the main summit

Marion on top of 2941 meters high Nemrut Dagi Gölü

A Turkish group also reached the summit

Swimming in the Van Lake on the Cennet Aile Piknik Alani Campsite

Speech therapy help for children in Tetuan

Racing girl in Tetvan

Bazaar to help orphans and Gaza (Palestine) in Tetvan

Many supporters on the orphan / Gaza basaar

Gun store in Tetvan

Jeweler in Tatvan

Sheep and goats in Kiskili - the access point to Süphan Dagi

In the base camp of Süphan Dagi which we skipped

View to the Van Lake from our high camp at 3249 meters sea-level

Purple flowers on the way to the summit of Süphan Dagi

Marion with the southern peak of Süphan Dagi

The steep and quite dangerous - loose rocks cone of the main summit of Süphan Dagi

Flowers at approx. 4000 meters sea-level

Alfred on top of 4058 meters high Süphan Dagi

View to the Van Lake

The huge crater of Süphan Dagi (diameter approx. 1 km) with many secondary peaks above 4000  meters sea-level

The marvelous overnight staying spot Çelebibagi

Sunset at the Çelebibagi spot

Süphan Dagi is on the left or our car

Burning sky on the Çelebibagi spot

Our first view of the majestic Ararat (5137 meters above sea level) from the Van to Dogubayazit road

The start of our Ararat adventure with Klaus and Rüdiger from Saxonia at 2490 meters sea-level

The horses with our luggage - Ararat in the background

More horses with Ararat

Nomades on Ararat

More horses

Close to the base camp

Marion with the our tents in the base camp at 3375 meters sea-level

Very comfortable and cozy the tents from Ceventravel

Our huge dining tent with our guide Faruk (left) and the Chef (right)

On the way to the high camp with a part of the base camp 

Many people with our orange tents in the base camp

There were also foals on the mountain

Horses transport almost everything to the high camp

Shopping Mall between base and high camp

The high camp at approx. 4100 meters sea-level

Marion with Ararat - the path to summit runs more or less on the left ridge

Klaus and Rüdiger with our kitchen tent in the high camp

Sunset with a part of the base camp

Our little tent in the high camp on the left

Little Ararat at sunset

Breakfast at one o'clock in the night

Ascent in the dark with the town of Dogubayazit in the back

Approaching the glacier

Rüdiger, Marion and Klaus with the ice of Ararat

People hiking to the summit

Cold morning at almost 5000 meters sea-level

Crampons for the last part were useful

The sun was happily welcomed

Busy summit of Ararat

Klaus, our guide Faruk, Alfred, Rüdiger and Marion on top of Ararat which is with 5137 meters sea-level the highest mountain of Türkiye

We were so happy

Alfred with Little Ararat in his back

Man from Iran proudly displays his country's flag

Snowy Ararat seen from the descent

The Ishak Pasha Sarayi Palace with Dogubayazit in the back (built in the Ottoman period between the years 1685 and 1784)

Mosque in the Ishak Pasha Sarayi Palace

Many visitors on a Sunday

Impressive archway in the palace

Toilet in the palace

In the ceremonial hall

Rich decorated wall

Honey is very popular in Türkeye - beehives below the palace

Couple in the palace

Dungeon of the palace

Wedding in the Ishak Pasha Sarayi Palace 

Dogubayazit Castle, built between the 9th and 13th centuries BC, is about 3,000 years old

Again the stunning Dogubayazit Castle

Very old figures left and right of the gate - 3000 years?

Dogubayazit Castle seen from the back 

Women and kids below the Dogubayazit Castle

Painting of Ehmedê Xanî, an intellectual poet and Kurdish national hero – his grave is located near the Dogubayazit Kalesi castle

Majestic Ararat seen from the highway Dogubayazit to Igdir

We found Noah's ark in front the the Tuzluca Salt Mine - approx. 65 kilometers northwest of Ararat

Collage in the salt mine

In the salt mine

Marion with a turkish Lady

Huge halls in the salt mine

Flock of goats/sheep with two aggressive dogs on the road to Ani

Eastern city wall of Ani, the ancient capital of Armenia, abandoned 300 years ago

Oil press mill with St. P'rkitch church, built in the year 1036 and split in half by a lightning strike in the 1930s

Eastern gate of Ani

Bath - Hamam

Church Tigran Honents Kilisesi, built in the 13th century

Entrance of Church Tigran Honents Kilisesi

In the Church Tigran Honents Kilisesi

Mural in the church

Awful mural 

Again a mural in the church

Again the Church Tigran Honents Kilisesi with the border river between Armenia and Türkye

Marion with the door of the cathedral of Ani which was under renovation

In the huge cathdral of Ani, built in the years 1071 and 1072

Facade of the mosque of Ani

In the mosque

View from the mosque to the border river Arpaçay (between Armenia and Türkiye)

Cross close to the mosque

Citadel of Ani

View to the southern river loop from the citadel

Ancient house close to the citadel

Old and new Ani

Fire temple of Ani, used between the 1st and 4th centuries

Western city wall of Ani

The wonderful and free campsite Esmepinar on the lake Çildir Gölü

View from our camper to the lake Çildir Gölü

Flowers on the lake

Hay tedder on lake Çildir Gölü