ARMENIAN HERITAGE SITES IN TURKEY AND IRAN

DOĞUBAYAZIT
URARTIANCASTLE
Doğubayazıt is the easternmost district of Turkey,
bordering with Iran, at an elevation of 1625 m. The
town is a settlement with a long history and lies
15kmsouthwestofMountArarat.
The area has had a rich history with monuments
dating back to the time of the Kingdom of Urartu
(over 2700 years ago). The Kingdom of Urartu was
centered in modern-day eastern Turkey, southwest
Armenia, and northwestern Iran. Urartu enjoyed
considerable political power in the region in the 9 th
and 8 th centuries BCE. Similar to Assyrian in
language and culture, their capital was Tushpa
(modern-day Van, Turkey). Before the Ottoman
Empire the site was referred to by its Armenian
name Daruynk. In the 4 th century the Sasanians
failedtocapturetheArmenianstrongholdandroyal
treasury at Daruynk. Princes of the Bagratid
dynasty of Armenia resided at Daruynk and rebuilt
the fortress into its present configuration with
multiplebaileysandtowerscarefullyintegratedinto
the ascending rock outcrop. When King Gagik
Arcruni reoccupied the fortress in 922 A.D. it
became the seat of a bishop. It was subsequently
conquered and reconquered by Persians,
Armenians, Byzantines, and Seljuks, all of whom
wouldhaveusedtheplaintorestandrecoupduring
their passages across the mountains. The castle of
Daruynk was repaired many times throughout this
history, although it is now named after the Turkish
warlord Celayırlı Şehzade Bayazıt Han who ordered
oneoftherebuildings(in1374).Ultimately,thetown
was renamed Beyazit itself in the 16 th century.The
widelydispersedvillageofBayazit,wasoriginallyan
Armenian settlement and populated by Kurds in
1930andYazidisfromtheSerhatregion.Butin1930
the Turkish army destroyed it in response to the
AraratRebellion.Anewtownwasbuiltintheplain
below the old site in the 1930s (hence the new name
"Doğubayazıt",whichliterallymeans"EastBeyazıt").
ISHAKPASHAPALACE
Ishak Pasha Palace, on the Silk Route near the
Iranian frontier, is situated on a high and vast
platform of strategic importance on an area of 7600
squaremeters.
Built over an entire century by generations of the
Pashafamily,theMiddleEastern-inspiredarchesand
domesofthesprawlingpalacehavesurvivedforover
400 years. Sitting near the Iranian border, the
architectural design of the palace is heavily
influencedbyitsneighboringArmenianandIranian
cultures. The palace was outfitted with a dizzying
arrayoffacilitiesandamenitiesincludingabakery,a
mosque, dungeons, and even a harem, all with a
central heating system. It has been decorated with
white and black stones and consists of 366 rooms,
twocourtyards,mosque,tombsandharem.
The landscape around Ishak Pasha Palace is
hauntingly beautiful located in this majestic
mountainous region. This area boasts of several
mountains: Ararat, Little Ararat, Tendürek Dagi,
Kaletepe,Agridagi,andGöllertepe.
AftertheTopkapıPalace,itisthemostfamouspalace
in Turkey and was depicted on the reverse of the
Turkish100newlirabanknoteof2005–2009.