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Turkish roadtrip pt. 4 - Van to Erzurum, with a view into Syria 🇹🇷
For those interested in reading the other installments, see following:
- Part 1: www.watchprosite.com
- Part 2: www.watchprosite.com
- Part 3: www.watchprosite.com
The previous installment of the roadtrip left us on the shores of the salty Lake Van and the following day turned to be a relatively long one, covering Tatvan, the canyons around Siirt, the ancient ruins around Hassankeyf, the old city of Mardin, passing near Diyarbakir and the final destination for the night, one of the skiing centers in Turkey - Erzurum.
After breakfast we set off out of the city of Van along the lakeshore towards Tatvan, the other larger city on the lake, to the Southwest.
The road along the lake was not much from a driving perspective, first going through semi-urban areas, with frequent traffic lights and relatively straight. The weather and views are astounding, though - probably even nicer in winter for the contrast.
As luck would have it - or maybe not - this weather was not to last and the hilly section before reaching Tatvan brought a turn for the worse, with intense snowfall and a darkening of the skies to almost twilight levels. LED to a tad more fun, too, with the rear becoming more lively during the conditions…
The snowstorm continued into Tatvan and some of the vehicles were not what you would call typical for the weather - still the rider seemed to know what he was doing and pirouetted through the snow like a pro!
The road to the left would have saved us hundreds of kilometers but would likewise robbed us of some spectacular sights, so we decided to bear straight, onwards towards Siirt.
Soon the sun was back - altitude will do that for you and the roads returned to the ‘Turkish delight’ variety - excellent, smooth surfaces, well sighted and sufficiently curvy for a good rhythm and a fun drive. They contributed to our ability to cover large distances without unduly tiring, physically or mentally.
Soon the landscape was to change completely and one had the feeling of descending from winter , through a full on spring to almost early summer, all within less than 100km.
This led to lots of four legged companions along the road, and some unusual roundabout decorations. Silk route?
Soon after we turned towards the first stop of the day, the Botan Vadisi Milli Parki - a viewpoint over a lovely canyon - the early summer vantage point I mentioned earlier.
Before entering the cafe / restaurant, some Cazalea style bird shots…
Only to give way to one of the truly fantastic canyon vistas. The turquoise river really stood out and was so different from the semi-perpetual snow and cold of the previous days.
The weather allowed for a coffee on the terrace in T-shirts and one could sit there for hours, were hours of driving not still ahead. Had we continued on the same way, the next significant stop would have been Erbil in North Iraq. As time - and lack of a visa - prevented that, it was off to Hassankeyf and the ancient ruins there.
And while the weather remained warmer - snow was continuously in sight somewhere not too far away…
Sadly time did not permit a visit to Batman - next trip for sure
As in the previous legs, the one behind the wheel could revel in the drive, while there was constantly plenty to see for the passenger, so it was not a one dimensional fun…
And the landscape could change completely within a handful of kilometers, and then again a handful later.
While most of the roads in this somewhat flatter stretch of land weren’t a three dimensional roller coaster, they still seemed to have been build with driving pleasure as one of the design briefs - all I can say is mission fully accomplished.
Finally we got to the approach to Hassankeyf, the ancient city.
The first view of the Tigris river - my first bar none. Not quite as wide as further down the stream but still one of the lifeblood giving elements of all the ancient civilizations here…
Sadly the Merc satnav wasn’t quite up to date - some months prior to our arrival an accumulation dam was inaugurated further downstream and the car was pointing us straight into the river. Anyhow - the most important sites were relocated prior to the plains being flooded.
While we didn’t find Noah’s Ark when passing Mount Ararat the day before, something tells me this wasn’t it, either
So returning from following the satnav to common sense got us back onto more solid looking ground and towards the newly constructed museum, with the relocated buildings in the compound.
It may not have all the charm of the times prior to the electric power plant downriver but I have to say it’s been a massive effort and probably most of the well preserved buildings have been kept intact, just slightly displaced.
What was different from what one is used to in Europe were quite frequent tractor / agricultural machinery dealers downtown. Must be a better location than outside cities I suppose…
And as in most places, there are plenty of ’independent’ dogs roaming around. They are large but at no point did I see any turn aggressive towards pedestrians.
While cityscapes are fun and nice do not let them deceive you - there was plenty of driving fun to be had, too! And some more snow, of course.
Finally we made it to the ancient hilltop city of Mardin. From the citadel on top…
To views into Syria…
Narrow ancient streets…
A myriad of beautiful doorways…
And the local machinery on display…
It’s definitely a place very much worth visiting.
You can spend hours strolling up and down the narrow alleys, and the few streets where cars are allowed, should your legs carry you that long
Still, all good things come to an end. While the journey to the final destination still had hours to go, daylight vaned fast and we also decided not to go into downtown Diyarbakir - given that it was recently hit by the earthquakes.
Still, passing it offered some serene moments / landscapes…
The final run to Erzurum took quite some hours in the dark, with snowfalls, great curvy stretches of road and a return to fresher temperatures - down to -23 degrees Centigrade.
Only now did I realize that I seem to have forgotten to take pictures of the food. Let me assure you it was as tasty as on all the other days during the trip - you will have to take my word for it
So that was it for a full day of exploring the Central / South parts of Turkey on the trip, taking us to the Southernmost point and starting the return leg of the journey. Hope you enjoyed it - one more installment to come!
More posts:
Turkish roadtrip pt. 4 - Van to Erzurum, with a view into Syria 🇹🇷
For those interested in reading the other installments, see following: - Part 1: www.watchprosite.com - Part 2: www.watchprosite.com - Part 3: www.watchprosite.com The previous installment of the roadtrip left us on the shores of the salty Lake Van and th...
It has been epic indeed - do check out the first three installments, too!
Lots of variety to be seen and enjoyed in Turkey
Glad you like it - a road trip much to be recommended if …
You enjoy driving and exploring new places!
That it has certainly been!
Check out the first three episodes, linked in the post above, too - for the full experience. One more to come
Ca. 10.000km (6.200 miles) in 11 days, so a certain pace was a must 😁👍🏻
There’s so much to see you could easily fill a trip at the same pace but twice the number of days and not be bored for a second!
Absolutely blown away!
My knowledge of Turkey doesn't extend beyond a handful of cities and mainly all on the coast. This is a whole new level of wonders and sights to see. Food looks delicious too, what's not to love ! Thanks so much for sharing this amazing road trip!
So glad that you enjoyed it - and I can highly recommend venturing beyond the coast as well!
One more installment to come
Not quite the end yet 😁
Will do one more installment - the drive to Bursa in Western Turkey
I have been following from Part 1…
Thats pretty serious driving on average miles/day….but what great landscape and scenery! Great stuff!
6200 miles in 11 days…
And at least 10.000 steps of walking daily on top It really was worth it and in terms of driving, the relatively empty roads of excellent quality (I probably mentioned a grand total of two potholes spotted)and a sufficient variety to make the driving fun ...
The roads are amazing…
You mentioned 2 potholes in 4k miles. Looking forward to the finale
Give me a couple of weeks for that 😁👍🏻
Might do another report of a shorter trip in the meantime - from closer to home Still have several mountain passes that I haven written up…
Thank you - one more part to follow 😊👍🏻
Takes a little bit to search for the old shots and one cannot upload so many at once. Glad if you enjoy it!
Tried to post a variety of pictures…
So as to give a more comprehensive view of the overall trip. The driving was definitely a highlight but at the same time also not the only highlight 😊👍🏻
Glad you enjoyed the little adventure - not quite finished yet 😊👍🏻
And even better live than through pictures 👍🏻
Glad you think so - so many fascinating places to see enroute 😊👍🏻
And the drive between them is anything but a chore 😁🏁
That was a huge surprise indeed 👍🏻
And a bit of a coincidence that we seemed it out in the first place. The trip generally took a completely different route than initially planned put together with some Turkish friends. The earthquakes took several areas off the route - didn’t want to intr...
In that case it’s not over yet 😁👍🏻
One more installment coming - the drive to Bursa on the West coast 👍🏻
