Day 8 - Van - Akdamar Island - Cavustepe (B, L, D)

In the morning we began our explorations of  Van (the old Tushpa), the ancient capital of the Kingdom of Urartu. It was here that Xenophon fought several battles as he and his 10,000 troops moved northwards. Alexander the Great came here in 331 BC. We will visit the 9th century Citadel and the Archaeological Museum, which numbers among its collection some very impressive jewelery, inscriptions, cylindrical seals, and bronze belts.  At Gevas, a small port on the south shore of Lake Van, we take a boat to Akdamar Island where we will visit the Armenian Church of the Holy Cross, built in 915. Approximately one hundred years ago this area boasted eleven Armenian churches and many monasteries. From here we drive to Cavustepe, an interesting site that features two citadels on a hill with the two summits connected by a saddle. We have our dinner and overnight stay in Van.