Doğubayazit

Introducing Doğubayazit

Lucky Doğubayazıt (doh-oo-bay-yah-zuht) – this dusty frontier town crawling with soldiers has few charms of its own but is blessed with a fabulous backdrop. Mt Ararat (Ağrı Dağı, 5137m), a Kilimanjaro-esque snow-capped summit and, incidentally, Turkey’s highest mountain, hovers majestically over the horizon. Doğubayazıt’s appeal lays also in its proximity to İshak Paşa Palace (İshak Paşa Sarayı), a breathtakingly beautiful fortress-palace-mosque complex 6km southeast of town. And yes, it’s a quintessentially Kurdish town that prides itself on its strong Kurdish heritage.

Doğubayazıt is also the main kicking-off point for the overland trail through Iran (the border is a mere 35km away). You’ll find traders from neighbouring countries in the streets.

Last updated: Mar 24, 2009