Turkey's farthest province of Doğubayazıt hosts Turkey's highest mountain Ararat, Ishak Pasha Palace, Doğubayazıt Castle and Noah's Ark. Definitely worth a visit.
You find the most precious treasures at the end of the longest paths. Doğubayazıt district hosting the most valuable elements of culture and nature sports tourism is a very important value in Turkey's border with Iran.
Having world's one of the most famous myths Legend of Noah's Ark, Turkey's highest mountain with the 5137 meter height, Mount Ararat, is the most important tourist attraction in the region.
Doğubayazıt is a small town of Ağrı. However, due to the tourism potential and the softer climatic conditions, it is able to attract more tourists. The most important reason for the development of the district is that it is adjacent with Iran and thus border trade. The closest settlement to Gürbulak Border Gate, Doğubayazıt, has reached a population of 113,000 due to border trade. Hotels to stay in Doğubayazıt serve in very good conditions. Even in summer, during the season, it is no problem to find a hotel.
The roof of Turkey
The first reason why Doğubayazıt is visited by local and foreign tourists is Ararat. With the height of 5137 meters, Ararat attracts hundreds of climbers every year.
The first climb was carried out in 1829 by Frederik Von Parat. In 1970, the Mountaineering Federation President and the most famous Turkish mountaineer of the time, Bozkurt Ergör, became the first mountaineer to climb the mountain.
In 1990, the abduction of foreign tourists by terrorists resulted in restricting climbing on Mount Ararat. Thus, Doğubayazıt's most important source of income in the field of nature tourism was interrupted. When the terrorist incidents in the region were taken under control in 1999, Ararat was re-climbed. Since then, hundreds of local and foreign mountaineer climbing organizations have organized activities on the legendary mountain. However, in the last two years, due to the increase of the dangers in the region, most of the climbs are not allowed.
Those who want to climb Mount Ararat need to first get permission from Agri Governorate and Doğubayazıt Gendarmerie Command. Groups who want to climb the mountain need to give all kinds of information like the dates of climb and return to these units.
Climbing Mount Ararat
The Southern Route of Mount Ararat is the most used route by climbers. This is the only route used especially in summer climbing. For those who want to get a guide for climbing Ararat, many options are offered. To climb Ararat, you can choose tours, which provide guidance, transportation, freight transportation and food options, from various tourism agencies in the district.
For climbing, you can visit Doğubayazıt's Çoktin Farm at 2200 meters with special vehicles. In the winter months, due to heavy snow, vehicles can reach up to 1800 meters above Topçatan Village. Yeşil Kamp at 3200 meters is reached in 2.5 hours with a comfortable walk starting from Çoktin Farm on a stabilized road. Climbing tours hire mules to carry equipment. So you don't have to carry heavy loads.
Yeşil Kamp is a lush greenery, where dozens of tents can be set. But the biggest danger in the plain where crowded tent community is located is theft. Therefore, it is necessary to pay attention to tents and belongings.
Early in the morning, with an altitude of one thousand meters from Yeşil Kamp, the last camp at 4200 meters is reached. The 4200 camp is a rocky and small plain. The effects of high altitude are first seen here. At night your head aches. In the morning, the first climb of the day is about five hours.
The climbing of the South Route of Mount Ararat continues as a ridge climbing up to 4900 meters of glacier passage. Glacial passage is very dangerous, especially in winter. It is obligatory to pass the glass ice track with the safety systems in winter. It is also essential to know how to use crampons and pickaxes. The summit is 200 meters away after the glacier. The summit plateau is reached and the main peak of 5137 meters is reached. After reaching the summit, on the same day, you can get back to Yeşil Kamp.
The Legend of Noah's Ark
After the great flood, the ship made by Noah is often mentioned in the holy books in which he sat on Mount Ararat. For example, Torah says that Noah's Ark sat on Mount Ararat after the flood.
The ship skeleton near the village of Üzengili, 3.5 km from the Iranian transit road at the foothills of Ararat, attracts the attention of researchers and tourists. Noah’s Ark is claimed to have sat on these hills after the flood.
In the 13th century, Marco Polo did research on this subject and talked about Noah's Ark. Starting from 1983 the search for the remains of the sacred ship accelerated. American researchers, especially James Irwin, examined this place in a multifaceted way. On September 17, 1987, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism decided to protect the ship's ruins and protected it as a natural archaeological site and an open air museum.
Majestic Ishak Pasha Palace
The building, which was started by Çolak Abdi Pasha in 1784 and finished by İshak Pasha, is the most magnificent Ottoman Palace of the East. The palace is located on the old Doğubayazıt rocks, seven kilometers southeast of Doğubayazıt.
In the second courtyard of the palace, it is accepted that he started to build the palace under the control of Çolak Abdi Pasha who was one of the Ottoman’s banner lords. Ishak Pasha Palace is more like a social complex. Doğubayazıt is an architectural wonder that is primarily visited by those who want to climb Ararat.
The restoration work of the palace was subjected to many criticisms. Environmentalists, Turkish history experts and travelers argued that the restoration work was against the spirit of the palace. This criticism has found wide coverage in the press.
Doğubayazıt Castle
