Ruined capital city of Urartu
Tushpa
Tushpa was the 9th-century BC capital of Urartu, later becoming known as Van which is derived from Biainili, the native name of Urartu.
The ancient ruins are located just west of modern-day Van, Turkey and east of Lake Van in Van Province. In 2016 it was inscribed in the Tentative list of World Heritage Sites in Turkey.
How locals move
Getting around Tushpa the local way
- Get inThey leave Tehran W & Su at 12:30 for Tabriz at 01:30, then four hours of border procedures at Razi / Kapıköy, to arrive at Van ferry pier at 11:00.
- Get inThis is the main station, the ferry pier is not shown as a separate station.
- Get inFerries across the lake from Tatvan sail infrequently and irregularly and take 4 hours.
- Get aroundFor the castle and museum take a dolmuş signed "Kale", which means castle but also refers to the sprawling suburb north of it.
- Get aroundA dolmuş ride costs 20 TL in 2025, pay the driver as you get in.
From Wikivoyage: Van, CC BY-SA. Not yet checked by us. Last edited 2026-09.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photograph: Wikimedia Commons (see Commons), Wikimedia Commons.