Doğubayazıt & Mount Ararat

A border town at the foot of Mount Ararat, Turkey's highest peak, with the clifftop İshak Pasha Palace overlooking the plain and the reputed site of Noah's Ark nearby.

Doğubayazıt is a predominantly Kurdish border town in Ağrı Province in eastern Turkey, about 35 km from the Gürbulak crossing into Iran, at an elevation of about 1,600 m. Rising from the plain to the north is Turkey's highest peak, Mount Ararat (Ağrı Dağı, 5,137 m), whose snowy summit is visible from town on clear days. On a cliff 5 km southeast of town stands the 18th-century İshak Pasha Palace, a blend of Ottoman, Persian and Armenian styles and the most photogenic building in eastern Turkey; nearby are the Urartian-era Old Beyazıt Castle, an old mosque and the tomb of the Kurdish poet Ahmad Khani. Sights outside town: about 20 km south, the Durupınar site is believed by some to be the remains of Noah's Ark; near the Iranian border is a huge so-called meteor crater (actually a volcanic collapse pit); to the west are the Diyadin hot springs and the high-altitude Lake Balık. Seasons: June–September is best and is also the Ararat climbing season (a climbing permit must be arranged in advance through a licensed agency; trips usually take 4–5 days); spring and autumn mornings and evenings are cold; winters are long and bitter, often below −20°C, though the snowy mountain scenery is spectacular. Getting there: the nearest airports are Ağrı Airport (about 100 km) and Iğdır Airport (about 55 km), and long-distance buses run from Van and Erzurum; for sights outside town, a taxi or hired car is easiest, and the palace, the Ark site and the crater can be combined in one day. Plan on 1–2 nights, plus extra time for climbing. Note: there are checkpoints in the border area, so carry your passport; the crater and the Ark site are close to the border and occasionally subject to security restrictions; accommodation in town is basic.

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