Thousands of years of settlement
The Lake Van basin has been inhabited since prehistoric times. The city's golden age began with the Kingdom of Urartu, founded in the 9th century BC. The Urartians built their capital, Tushpa, on the rock where Van Castle stands today.
Timeline
- Kingdom of Urartu (9th–6th century BC): Fortresses, irrigation canals and cuneiform inscriptions date from this period.
- Medes and Achaemenids: After Urartu, the region came under Persian rule. The inscription of Xerxes at Van Castle is the most important trace of this era.
- Hellenistic, Roman, Parthian and Sasanian periods: The region changed hands between great empires.
- Kingdom of Vaspurakan: The Church of the Holy Cross on Akdamar Island was built in the 10th century.
- Seljuks: After the Battle of Manzikert (Malazgirt) in 1071, the region came under Turkish rule.
- Ottoman Empire: Joined the Ottoman realm in the 16th century; the Hüsrev Pasha Mosque dates from this time.
- First World War: The Old City of Van at the foot of the castle was largely destroyed, and the new city was built further east.
- Republican era: Van grew into one of the largest cities in Eastern Anatolia. Much of the city was rebuilt after the 2011 earthquake.
Today
The ruins of Old Van, Van Castle and the Van Museum are the best places to start exploring this long history.