Van Golu Attractions 
Inland lake
Depth: about 400m/1,300ft (exact depth not known)
Measuring 80km/50mi long, 40km/25mi wide and with an area of 3765sq.km/1453sq.miles Lake Van is the largest lake in Turkey and seven times bigger than Lake Geneva. Its catchment area extends over 16,000sq.km/6,080sq.miles and its deepest point has not yet been established. It is believed to be about 400m/1,300ft, but even close to the bank depths of more than 250m/820ft have been measured. The water is rich in natural sodas (13%) and consequently there is little underwater life. Lake Van has no outflow as it is surrounded on all sides by mountains: to the south by the Eastern Taurus Bitlis massif (Ihtiyarsahap Daglari 3,634m/11,919ft, Cadir Dagi or Artos 3,537m/11,600ft), to the east by single peaks such as the Comaklibaba Dagi (2,602m/8,534ft) or ErkDagi or ErekDagi (3,204m/10,500ft), to the west and north largely by volcanic mountains such as Süphan Dagi (4,058m/13,300ft), Nemrut Dagi (2,828m/9,275ft) and Ala Daglar (3,510m/11,500ft). It is known that in earlier times Lake Van was a freshwater lake which was drained by the Murat Nehri, one of the sources of the Euphrates.
In the Quaternary Period, the era between the two Ice Ages, volcanic rock (andesite) from the Nemrut Dagi blocked the outlet near Tatvan in the so-called Rahva plain. Thereafter, on account of the surrounding mountains, there was no way out for the lake's water even at its highest level (80m/260ft higher than now) during the third Pleistocene Era. The Assyrians called Lake Van the "Upper Lake" or "Sea of the Nairi lands" (Surging Sea). Three times a day a ferry for cars and lorries crosses the lake from Van Iskelesi to Tatvan. Departure times depend on the rail service from Tatvan to Van which also uses the ferry. The line then continues to the Iranian border (mainly goods traffic, journey time six hours, buses about two hours).
Depth: about 400m/1,300ft (exact depth not known)
Measuring 80km/50mi long, 40km/25mi wide and with an area of 3765sq.km/1453sq.miles Lake Van is the largest lake in Turkey and seven times bigger than Lake Geneva. Its catchment area extends over 16,000sq.km/6,080sq.miles and its deepest point has not yet been established. It is believed to be about 400m/1,300ft, but even close to the bank depths of more than 250m/820ft have been measured. The water is rich in natural sodas (13%) and consequently there is little underwater life. Lake Van has no outflow as it is surrounded on all sides by mountains: to the south by the Eastern Taurus Bitlis massif (Ihtiyarsahap Daglari 3,634m/11,919ft, Cadir Dagi or Artos 3,537m/11,600ft), to the east by single peaks such as the Comaklibaba Dagi (2,602m/8,534ft) or ErkDagi or ErekDagi (3,204m/10,500ft), to the west and north largely by volcanic mountains such as Süphan Dagi (4,058m/13,300ft), Nemrut Dagi (2,828m/9,275ft) and Ala Daglar (3,510m/11,500ft). It is known that in earlier times Lake Van was a freshwater lake which was drained by the Murat Nehri, one of the sources of the Euphrates.
In the Quaternary Period, the era between the two Ice Ages, volcanic rock (andesite) from the Nemrut Dagi blocked the outlet near Tatvan in the so-called Rahva plain. Thereafter, on account of the surrounding mountains, there was no way out for the lake's water even at its highest level (80m/260ft higher than now) during the third Pleistocene Era. The Assyrians called Lake Van the "Upper Lake" or "Sea of the Nairi lands" (Surging Sea). Three times a day a ferry for cars and lorries crosses the lake from Van Iskelesi to Tatvan. Departure times depend on the rail service from Tatvan to Van which also uses the ferry. The line then continues to the Iranian border (mainly goods traffic, journey time six hours, buses about two hours).
