Bitlis Attractions
Eastern Anatolia
Sandwiched between two massifs, the Musgüney Daglari (2,607m/8,556ft) to the west and the Kavussahap Daglari (3,103m/10,184ft) to the east, Bitlis, capital of its province, hugs the sides of the deep Basor Deresi in the valley of the Bitlis Çayi, a tributary of the Tigris. The population of the surrounding villages is mainly Kurdish, the principal occupation being livestock rearing (sheep and goats) and cultivation of cereals, vegetables and fruit on little irrigated plots of land. The townsfolk are very traditionally minded and show little enthusiasm for modernization. In addition to its attractive setting Bitlis also boasts an Old Town with numerous charmingly decorated basalt houses, a variety of interesting sights, and a busy bazaar, making it altogether a place worth visiting. There are sulfurous thermal springs below the town on the east bank of the river.
History
Although the area was certainly settled in the seventh century B.C. Bitlis itself is said to have been founded in the late fourth century B.C. by one of Alexander the Great's generals, who named it Balaleson. When or whether it ever belonged to Rome is questionable. The Arabs under the Caliph Omar occupied the town in 641, followed by the Seljuks in the 11th century and the Mongols in the 13th. Finally, in the 16th century, Selim I claimed the town for the Ottoman Empire. Even so, the local Kurdish princes (of the Rushekid dynasty in the 14th century for example) always enjoyed a considerable degree of autonomy in the region. From the 16th century onwards Bitlis was the capital of a Kurdish beylik.
Sandwiched between two massifs, the Musgüney Daglari (2,607m/8,556ft) to the west and the Kavussahap Daglari (3,103m/10,184ft) to the east, Bitlis, capital of its province, hugs the sides of the deep Basor Deresi in the valley of the Bitlis Çayi, a tributary of the Tigris. The population of the surrounding villages is mainly Kurdish, the principal occupation being livestock rearing (sheep and goats) and cultivation of cereals, vegetables and fruit on little irrigated plots of land. The townsfolk are very traditionally minded and show little enthusiasm for modernization. In addition to its attractive setting Bitlis also boasts an Old Town with numerous charmingly decorated basalt houses, a variety of interesting sights, and a busy bazaar, making it altogether a place worth visiting. There are sulfurous thermal springs below the town on the east bank of the river.
History
Although the area was certainly settled in the seventh century B.C. Bitlis itself is said to have been founded in the late fourth century B.C. by one of Alexander the Great's generals, who named it Balaleson. When or whether it ever belonged to Rome is questionable. The Arabs under the Caliph Omar occupied the town in 641, followed by the Seljuks in the 11th century and the Mongols in the 13th. Finally, in the 16th century, Selim I claimed the town for the Ottoman Empire. Even so, the local Kurdish princes (of the Rushekid dynasty in the 14th century for example) always enjoyed a considerable degree of autonomy in the region. From the 16th century onwards Bitlis was the capital of a Kurdish beylik.
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Hizan, Turkey
(Near Bitlis)
There are several ruins near Hizan including the Monastery of Our Lady of Hzar, the Monastery of the Holy Cross, and the Monastery of Our Lady of Baritzor.
Alaman Külliyesi
The Alaman Külliyesi in Bitlis, consisting of a hostel (han), medrese, mosque and bath house, was constructed in 1502. As regards the history of Bitlis Kalesi, the massive citadel with its polygonal towers and solid walls, dominating the town, not much is known. Its nucleus appears to be Byzantine. It was enlarged by the Ottomans and at one time contained 300 houses. Part of it was demolished in 1911 to provide stone for building.
Caravanserais
There are a number of caravanserais in the vicinity of Bitlis. Among them are the Alaman Hani (east side of the Tatvan road), Bashan (in the village of that name) and Papsin Hani (in the upper Bitlis Çayi valley).
Great Mosque
The Great Mosque (Ulu Cami) in the town center of Bitlis was endowed by an Artuk emir in 1126, and according to an inscription was renovated in 1150. Built of rough-hewn basalt it has fifteen bays separated by pointed arches. Be sure to visit the domed minaret next to the prayer house.
Resadiye, Turkey
(Near Bitlis)
About 32km/21mi east of Tatvan, at Resadiye, there is a small promontory with a little beach, a delightful place to bathe.
Serefiye Külliyesi
The Serefiye Külliyesi on the market square below the fort in Bitlis was built in 1528/29 under Süleiman the Magnificent. An elaborately carved wooden pulpit graces the mosque. The complex also includes a kitchen for the poor, a Koranic school and the patron's türbe.
