Visit of Ishak Pasha Sarayi
Fairytale palace near Ararat
At the very eastern end of Turkey, only a few kilometers from Iran, lies in the foothills of volcanic mountains very well-preserved Ottoman palace of Ishak Pasha. Except for Mount Ararat it is the greatest attraction in the wide area of Dogubayazit. In addition, you can go to the palace on foot along relatively nice route from Dogubayazit or combine it with a hike through almost forgotten Kurdish villages overlooking Ararat or with a short ascent to outlook rock above the palace.
Ishak Pasha from the cemetery
After you arrived / came from Dogubayazit, set out from the parking place to small cemetery with a nice view of the whole palace. Before you start the palace tour itself, you will make a basic idea of what awaits you inside.
Entrance gate to the palace complex
Even the gate to the complex itself is worth seeing. It is a massive building with interesting decoration significantly exceeding the surrounding walls.
At the inner courtyard
At the inner courtyard you can admire the beautiful architecture of another gate leading to the inner palace and mosque.
Decoration of the gate
The stonework in the palace are absolutely amazing.
Inside the palace
Interesting decor is in the entire interior of the palace, including harem.
Palace almost like from a fairytale
Although the interior of the palace is interesting, the most beautiful are the outlooks of it from the surrounding hills. The palace is interestingly incorporated into the surrounding landscape and looks fabulous. It also used to have a strategic importance as a checkpoint for trade routes.
Mosque and ruins
There is another mosque and ruins of other buildings a short way from the palace. Walk up in this direction along the paths, if you want to see the palace nicely from above.
Palace from above
You can ascent among the ruins to the top of the surrounding mountain, from where there is not only a nice view of the upland plateau, but also of the palace.
Following program depends on how much time you have. Locals grill here meat for hours and relax. You can also go to the surrounding mountains, or make an interesting half-day trek through the mountains.
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