Doğubeyazıt

The town of Doğubeyazıt (pronounced DOHUBEYAZUT), sometimes also spelt as Doğubayazit, lies 15 km from Mount Ararat (Ağrı Dağ) and 35 km from the Iranian border.

Doğubeyazit is the setting of Yaşar Kemal's famous novel "The Legend of Mount Ararat" (Ağrı Dağı Efsanesi), a story about the impossible love between a poor local boy and the governor's daughter.

Sights and Photos of Doğubeyazit

Although Doğubeyazıt itself is a charmless border town, its surroundings are spectacular. Sightseeing highlights are the breathtaking twin volcanoes of Mount Ararat with its 5135 m the largest mountain of Turkey, the palace of Ishak Pasha, the Ark of Noah, the volcanic hot springs of Diyadin, 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 and one of the highlights of a visit to Turkey. It is a superb 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. The gold-plated doors, masterpieces of Kurdish craftsmanship, were removed by Russian troops at their retreat from Anatolia in 1917 and are now on display in St. Petersburg's Hermitage Museum.

Across the valley, there are a mosque and the ruins of an ancient Urartian fortress (13th to 7th century BCE). In the neighbourhood of İshak Pasha Sarayı, there are also the ruins of Eski Beyazıt (old Beyazit) which was deserted during the 1930s and some typical Kurdish farmhouses. A drive through some rather rough terrain leads to the place where some people claim to have found Noah's (Nuh) ark. In June, spring has just begun here and an occasional thunderstorm can happen, but it is also an opportunity to take some great pictures. At Diyadin Hot Springs the volcanic landscape is of prehistoric greatness. A relaxing bath in the hot springs makes it a perfect day.

Here are some photos of Doğubeyazıt, click on the thumbnail for a greater picture.

Travel Information & Travel Tips

Doğubeyazıt 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: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., Ağrı Cad. No. 130 kat. 2D Bayazit/ Ağrı 04400). He was truly a superb guide for Doğubeyazıt and surroundings. He also organizes expeditions and trekking tours on Mount Ararat. Most of all, he is a master in organizing parties.

I visited Doğubeyazıt in 1992, 1997, and 2002. In 2002, it was our starting point on our trip through Eastern and Central Anatolia. We enjoyed staying at Hotel Nuh (Tel.: +(90) 472 312 72 32, e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., Büyük Ağrı Cad. No. 65).