The town of Doğubeyazit (pronounced DOHUBEYAZIT) lies 15 km from Mount Ararat (Ağrı Dağ) and 35 km from the Iranian border. Although Doğubayazit itself is a charmless border town, it surroundings are spectacular. Sightseeing highlights are the breathtaking twin vulcanoes of Mount Ararat with its 5135 m the largest mountain of Turkey, the palace of Ishak Pasha, the Ark of Noah, the vulcanic hot springs of Diyani, the meteor crater, and on top of all that the typical setting of a border town in the Middle East.
The palace of Ishak Pasha, lying at 6 km southeast of Doğubeyazit, is the most important historical monument of the region. It is a mixture of every architectural style extant in Turkey: Seljuk, Ottoman, Armenian, Georgian, and Persian influences are all clearly present. Construction of the fortress-palace was started in 1685 by Colak Abdi Pasha (Çolak Abdı Paşa), the bey of Beyazit province and completed by his grandson Ishak (Isaac) Pasha in 1784.
Doğubeyazit does not have an official tourism agency. However,in 2002 we were lucky to find the best of tourist guides: Paraşüt (Parachute, Tel. +(90) 472 312 19 00, Mobile +(90) 543 44 01 836, Fax +(90) 472 312 69 10, e-mail: Parasut_2001@hotmail.com, Ağrı Cad. No. 130 kat. 2D Bayazit/ Ağrı 04400). He was truly a superb guide for Doğubayazit and surroundings. He also organizes expeditions and trekkking tours on Mount Ararat. He's also a master in organizing parties.
I visited Doğubeyazit in 1992, 1997, and 2002. In 2002 we stayed at Hotel Nuh (Tel.: +(90) 472 312 72 32, e-mail: hotelnuh@hotmail.com, Büyük Ağrı Cad. No. 65)
Click on the thumbnails to see a greater picture
Mount Ararat - Ağrı Dağ
Ishak Pasha Palace
Inside Ishak Pasha Palace
The Silk Road entering Turkey from Iran with an old Urartian fortress controlling it
Photo of Kurdish village house at Doğubeyazit
On the road to Noah"s Ark
Photo of the Yayla, the alpine meadow
Scenery near the hot spring of Diyani
Diyani hot springs
Bathing at the Diyani hot springs
Geysers at the hot springs of Diyani
Photo of Kurdish girl
Old Armenian Cemetery
