Dogubayazit Tour | Mt Ararat Excursion

Between 1340-1200 BC Hurries settled in this area north of Lake Van after Hittites, who were believed to rule the region first, lost their power. Hurries couldn't defend Agri Urartians as it is far from Urfa which was their capital city. Then Urartians established the most rooted civilization around Agri.

The fortresses built on the ways to the north and northeast show that these military expeditions were organized attacks. An Urartian inscription found between the village of Karakoyunlu and the village of Ta?burun on the skirts of the Mount Ararat is a definite proof of the sovereignty of King Menua in Agri. Cimmerian that ruled across River Kizilirmak also occupied Agri but temporarily in the years 712 BC. After the overthrown of Assyrian , Meds (708-555 BC) started a period of extension, so they captured Agri and surrounds. After the downfall of Meds' Persians ruled the region nearly 200 years until the arrival of Alexender The Great who captured Anatolia from Persian king Darius III (331 BC).

Dogubayazit (Dogubeyazit), situated only 32 km from Iran serves as the eastern gate of Turkey, map of location. It lies high on the Anatollian plateau, at an elevation nearing 2000m. The town is not far from legendery Mount Ararat.

Visitors for Dogubayazit tour, if they start the day early, can have a splened view of this sacred mountain as it emerges from the morning mist. Apart from scenic view tour groups can see many ruins left from the ancient civilizations. These discoveries are identified to be associated with Urartians, Assyrians, Medes, Persians, Romans and Byzantines times.

From the historical sites standing up today is the striking 18th-century Ishak Pasha Palace located at 5 km to the east.

To see the place where it is thought that Noah's Ark landed ground, you take a drive to Uzengili village, 25 km east of Dogubeyazit. Make sure to taste the local dessert 'asure' (Noah's pudding), believed to have first been made by Noah's wife from the last bits of food in the Ark.

The easiest way to get to the area is either from Erzurum (285 km) or from Van (307 km) over land.