Çarpanak Island (Ktuts Monastery)
Çarpanak Adası
A small island in the northern part of Lake Van, home to a 15th-century Armenian monastery. Boats must be chartered to reach it, and visitors are few.
Çarpanak Island (Armenian: Ktuts) lies in the northern part of Lake Van. The Monastery of St. John the Baptist, built in the 15th century, still stands with its stone church and walls, set against the deep blue water. It is the second Armenian heritage site on Lake Van that visitors can explore. There are no regular ferry services, so you will need to charter a boat from the Iskele pier area in Van. The one-way trip takes about an hour and is best in summer, when the lake is calm. The island has no facilities, so bring your own drinking water.
Opening hours
Requires chartering a boat; daytime in summer
Nearby sights
- Ayanis Fortress
- Van Cat House
- Akdamar Island & Cathedral of the Holy Cross
- Van Fortress
- Old City of Van
- Van Museum
- Halime Hatun Tomb
- Van Breakfast Street