Roof of Turkey, Noah's City Places to Visit in Ağrı

Pain; With its cultural assets such as Turkey's highest peak Mount Ararat, the traces of Noah's Ark, its legends, nature and İshakpaşa Palace, it is a city that attracts the attention of not only our country but the world. Holding the title of the roof of Turkey due to being the highest city in Turkey, it is known as Noah's city because the place where Noah's Ark landed is in Ağrı. Where is Ağrı, how to get there, the best time to go to Ağrı, what to eat in Ağrı, places to visit in Ağrı and much more Agri travel guide This article is waiting for you. Happy reading!

First of all, let's start by getting to know Ağrı closely:

Where is the pain?

Before & where is the pain Let me answer the question: Ağrı is located in the Eastern Anatolia Region in the east of our country. Starting from the north, it is surrounded by Kars, Iğdır, Iran, Van, Bitlis, Muş and Erzurum. It is located at the easternmost tip of our country, together with Iğdır.

While the city center of Ağrı used to be the district known as Karaköse, the center was moved from Doğubeyazıt to Karaköse in 1920 and this became the city center. Even though the city center has been changed, Doğubeyazıt is still the historical and cultural center of the city for me. Most of the places to visit in Ağrı are located in Doğubeyazıt and its surroundings.

How to go to Ağrı?

How to get to Ağrı Are you wondering? Ağrı is very advantageous in terms of transportation. You didn't expect me to write this, did you? But it's true. There is an airport very close to Ağrı city center. Turkish Airlines and Pegasus have daily flights to Ağrı Ahmed-i Hani Airport from Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir. You can check flight times on airline websites. You can also fly to one of the surrounding provinces to come to Ağrı. There are shuttles from Ağrı Ahmed-i Hani Airport to Doğubeyazıt. You can find the shuttles at the airport exit at the landing time of the planes.

If your reason for coming to Ağrı is to climb Mount Ararat or to visit Doğubeyazıt and its surroundings; While Iğdır Şehit Bülent Aydın Airport is 68 kilometers from Doğubeyazıt, Ağrı Airport is 100 kilometers from Doğubeyazıt. So it may be more practical to come here via Iğdır. I'll digress a little bit, but every time I watch the Iğdır Airport opening video that I've included below, my eyes fill with tears and I couldn't help but share it.

You can easily reach both Ağrı center and Doğubeyazıt by bus from neighboring provinces. It is useful to foresee that the roads may be closed or difficult to pass due to snow only in winter months. For example, there are Tendürek Mountains in between Van and sometimes it can be difficult to pass.

The best way to visit the places on the list of places to visit in Ağrı is to rent a car. Renting a car from the airport you landed will be the most practical way. The distances are long, there is no public transport to some places.

Best Time to Go to Ağrı

Best time to go to Ağrı It will differ depending on what you want to do. If you want to visit and see its natural and historical beauties, May and June are the months when nature wakes up, flowers bloom, snow melts and streams cascade.

If you are going to Ağrı for climbing Mount Ararat, the drier months of July, August and September are the best times.

If you say you want to see Ağrı under the snow, which is beautiful, then January and February will be the best times. However, you have to take into account that you will not be able to reach everywhere on those dates. My first visit to Ağrı was in February, the snowy landscapes were wonderful, but I could only go to İshakpaşa Palace. Fortunately, the weather was sunny. However, the roads were closed even to places to visit close to İshakpaşa.

If you are planning a trip to Ağrı, you will need at least two days to see the places I will recommend below. If you have a climbing plan on the mountain, it would be good to allocate 3-4 days for it.

What to Eat in Ağrı?

Coming to my favorite topic: What to eat in Ağrı? Ağrı is a city where cattle breeding is very common. Therefore, meat and dairy products are very tasty and organic. It can also be delicious because it is organic. For example, I did not eat rice pudding as good as the rice pudding I ate in Ağrı, even in Hamsiköy. But Hamsiköy has become famous, no one has heard of Ağrı rice pudding. The meat and milk of animals grazing with endemic plants on the high plateaus of Ağrı are just as delicious.

Ağrı Merkez – Sultan Restaurant – Ağrı Doner & Rice Pudding

If you come to Ağrı and find meat dishes such as Ağrı doner kebab, roast beef, tandoori, do not forgive. In the center of Ağrı, you can choose Sultan Sofrası restaurant to eat Ağrı doner kebab. We ate our first rice pudding here, if you have it, don't miss it. There is no difference in the preparation of doner, but since the meat is delicious, doner is also delicious.

Doğubeyazıt – Ergül's Cuisine – Abdigör Meatballs

You can eat Abdigör Meatballs, which is the famous meat dish of Ağrı, in Ergül's Cuisine, located just at the entrance of Doğubeyazıt bazaar. The meat, which is beaten for 1.5 hours and all nerves removed, is boiled with onions and this dish comes out. Abdigör meatballs started to be made for Doğubayazıt Sanjak Bey Çolak Abdi Pasha, who could not eat meat dishes due to stomach discomfort, about 400 years ago. It still continues to be prepared with the same method as a healthy meat dish that does not tire the stomach.

Agri Herb Cheese, Butter & Agri Honey

Ağrı is also famous for its naturally made herbed cheese, butter and honey. There are also many local dishes that you can't find in restaurants, but I'm not talking about them because we don't taste them, you won't find them even if you search. There are shops selling honey and cheese. Bizim Cheesecilik was among the recommended places in Doğubeyazıt.

Ağrı Merkez – Nakkaş Restaurant

To someone in the center of pain "Where to eat in Ağrı?” If you ask them, they will tell you the Nakkaş restaurant on the edge of the people's garden. Whoever we asked, they said this place, I know from there. It is a very stylish and clean restaurant, the presentations are nice. But if you look for traditional food on the menu, you won't find it, because it doesn't exist.

Smuggled Tea

They will offer you tea wherever you go in Ağrı, do not object. I don't know if it's because the tea is illegal, because it's a treat, because of the air or water, the taste of tea in Ağrı is very good. Do not return without drinking, or even without buying from Doğubeyazıt Smugglers' Bazaar.

Places to Visit in Ağrı

The list of places to visit in Ağrı offers what you seek for nature, history and culture. I tried to list the most popular spots in Ağrı by specifying the places I went to and the districts.

Mount Ararat

With an altitude of 5137 meters, the highest peak of Europe and Turkey is located on Mount Ararat. The skullcap glacier, located on the summit of Mount Ararat, does not melt in all four seasons, perhaps it has been there for thousands of years. The volcanic mountain has a second peak, called Little Ararat. You can see the most beautiful views of Mount Ararat as you come from Iğdır towards Doğubeyazıt and from Yerevan, the capital of Armenia. The above photo was taken from the location of Noah's Ark Trace.

If you want to climb Mount Ararat, you can reach the summit by staying for 2 days. You need to set aside a total of 4 days. Although the mountain has been legally closed to climbing since 2015, illegal ascents continue. I hope that it will be opened for climbing legally as soon as possible and the mountaineers will celebrate.

Dogubeyazit – Ishak Pasha Palace

The most touristic point of Ağrı is İshak Pasha Palace. The palace, which is 7 kilometers from Doğubeyazıt district, can be reached by shuttles from the district in summer. In winter, you can reach by taxi.

The construction of the palace, which was built during the Tulip Era of the Ottoman Empire, took 99 years. The cultural diversity of the region where the palace was built was utilized. The most beautiful examples of Persian, Seljuk, Ottoman and Turkmen architecture combined with the unique workmanship of Armenian stonemasons. 

Although it was built as a palace, Ishak Pasha was used as a complex with its madrasah, mosque and library. Another important feature is that it was the first palace to have a central heating system during the Ottoman Empire.

For more information about Ishak Pasha Palace The Last Palace of the Ottoman Empire, İshak Pasha Palace You can take a look at my post.

Dogubeyazit – Urartian Castle

The castle, which was built on steep rocks about 1 kilometer above the İshak Pasha Palace, is known as the Urartu Castle or Beyazıt Castle. The exact date of construction of the castle is not known.

The place called the goat hole/passage located in the upper part of the castle is also worth seeing. In order to go to the goat hole, you have to go up to the Tomb of Ahmed-i Hani. The hole is very narrow, you can pass the hole and go down to the Old Beyazıt Mosque through the castle. Since I couldn't fit into the hole, I had to go back to the normal way.

Dogubeyazit – Old Beyazit Mosque

The Old Beyazıt Mosque, which was built just below the Urartian Castle, was built long before the İshak Pasha Palace to be used during the old settlement period of Doğubeyazıt. It would be good to pay attention to the time to visit the mosque, which is opened during prayer times. We couldn't go inside because it was closed when we went.

The exit to the Urartian Castle is a steep staircase located at the entrance of the mosque, if you do not pay attention, you may miss the staircase.

Dogubeyazit – Ahmed-i Hani Tomb

Sheikh Ahmed-i Hani is an important scientific step for Ağrı and its surroundings. He is an expert on different subjects such as an Islamic scholar, writer, educator. Ahmed-i Hani came from Hakkari and settled in Ağrı. Ahmed-i Hani's best-known book, Mem and Zin, tells a love story set in the region.

His tomb is located inside the mosque, which is 500 meters above the Urartian Castle. You can start the walk from the place where the tomb is located to pass to the goat hole. When I went, the shrine was closed to visitors due to corona.

Doğubeyazıt – Ahmed-i Hani Museum and Beyazit House

As you head towards Doğubeyazıt from the İshak Pasha Palace, you will see the Ahmed-i Hani Museum on the left, on a small hill. In the garden where the museum is located, there is the Ahmed-i Hani Museum, which includes sections from the life of Ahmed-i Hani, and an ethnography museum called Beyazıt House, which describes the lifestyle and culture of the region. 

I especially liked the Beyazıt House, which was built based on the old houses of this region. Many sections of the culture and daily life of the region are introduced in the 2-storey building.

Dogubeyazit – Meteor Pit

The meteor pit, located 2 kilometers from the Iranian Gürbulak border, is the second largest meteor pit in the world, after the meteor pit in Alaska, with a depth of 60 meters and a diameter of 35 meters. Some scientific studies show that this place is a sinkhole. At the time I went, the Meteor Pit was closed to visitors for security reasons, we visited with special permission.

Doğubeyazıt – Trace of Noah's Ark

The place, which is estimated to be the place where Noah's Ark landed at the end of Noah's Flood, is located between the villages of Telçeker and Üzengili. When you go 4 kilometers inwards from the Turkey-Iran road, a silhouette-shaped ship trail is visible. The name of the place where the ship stopped is referred to as Mount Cudi among the people. Many Turkish and foreign researchers have conducted studies in this region. Ara Güler took the aerial photographs of the site for the first time.

The view of Greater and Lesser Ararat from where the trail is located is also very beautiful.

Dogubeyazit Bazaar and Smuggler's Bazaar

Doğubeyazıt district is quite active, its social life is more lively than the center of Ağrı. It is also economically viable due to its proximity to the border and border trade. There are restaurants, shops and cafes on a pedestrianized street in the city center. There are many covered bazaars within 200 meters of this bazaar. They have names like Büyük Çarşı. This is the smuggler's market you know. You can find all kinds of contraband goods. You can find everything from electronics to cosmetics, from tea to tobacco at affordable prices.

Diyadin Canyon, Travertines and Hot Springs

Diyadin Canyon, located in Diyadin district of Ağrı, was carved by the waters of the Murat River. It hosts beautiful landscapes as a recreation area. The thermal springs, located 5 kilometers from the center of Diyadin, consist of hot water springs spread over a wide area, the travertine and bridge images formed by the hot water are among the places of interest. Although the area where the hot springs are located attracts many visitors from the immediate surroundings, we did not dare to leave ourselves to the hot waters because there was no proper thermal facility.

Diyadin – Meya (Gunbuldu) Caves

Traces of different beliefs were found in the temples and shelters carved into the rocks in the Meya Caves, located near Günbuldu Village, 12 kilometers from Diyadin town center. Although the caves are interesting in their own right, I was more interested in the road to the caves, wide plains, meandering streams and wonderful pastoral landscapes accompany the road.

Diyadin & Taşlıçay – Lake Fish

Located within the borders of Doğubeyazıt and Taşlıçay districts, Lake Balık is among Turkey's high altitude lakes with an altitude of 2241 meters. Fish Lake is home to red-spotted trout and many wild animals, and you can watch birds around the lake. There are places where you can have a picnic on the lake shore. 

There are two roads from Doğubeyazıt and Taşlıçay to the lake. Even though the Doğubeyazıt road is longer, the road is quite smooth asphalt, I would say do not choose there because the other road is dirt.

Dogubeyazit – Tomb of Caliph Yusuf

On the way to Balık Lake from Diyadin's side, there is the Caliph Yusuf Tomb within the borders of Seslitaş Village. Caliph Yusuf was the spiritual leader of Seslitaş Village and was known as a scholar and philosopher in religious matters. We took a break on the way to the tomb. You don't need to turn your way here.

Ağrı İbrahim Çeçen University Campus

When I went to Ağrı, Ağrı İbrahim Çeçen University was one of the places that surprised me the most. We went to Ağrı for the tourism development workshop with the invitation of the Ağrı Governorate and we spent a full day at the university. Both in my professional career and as a traveler, I went to many universities as a speaker and had the chance to visit their campuses.

Ağrı İbrahim Çeçen University campus is much more beautiful than many universities I have seen. Each building was built with different concepts, a large dining hall, cultural center, practice hotel, congress center, which was built on the model of İshak Pasha Palace, were impressive buildings.

Other Places to Visit in Ağrı

The places I mentioned above are the places I visited during my travels in Ağrı. I didn't add Taşteker Üç Church, which we visited, to the list because there is nothing left of the church. I don't want to be embarrassed if those who read the article try to find the church.

Apart from the list of places to visit in Ağrı above; Ice Cave, Doğubeyazıt Reeds, Hamur Vault, Eleşkirt Plateau, Tendürek Mountain Lava Streams, Şoşik Castle, Koçbaşı Castle were places on my list, but we did not visit them because we did not have time to go. Let's have an excuse to go to Ağrı again. In addition, Güneykaya and Küpkıran Ski Centers are places where you can go for winter tourism in Ağrı.

Map of Places to Visit in Ağrı

Map of places to visit in Ağrı, It is located below as marked on google maps. Click on the image below to access the online map.

You can also combine your trip to Kars and Van. You can start from Kars and go to Ağrı and then to Van. That's how I made my first trip to Ağrı. If you are going to make such a route, Places to visit in Kars ve Things to do in Van You may also be interested in my articles.

Everything you wonder about pain Pain is waiting for you in my travel video, don't forget to watch, like and subscribe to my channel!

Stay on the Road!