TURKEY

25th May to 5th June 2012. A selection of snaps covering our Tour to the Lake Van Area of Anatolia. Helen's page: http://fands.org.uk/1.FANDSVan.htm

I hope to give an impression of the holiday and the country, Click on the thumbnails to enlarge then "back",

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WEDNESDAY 23rd May Taxi to Heathrow by 9.25; arrived after 2hr drive. A 4.5hr flight to Istanbul where we met the others from our party and Ian our leader We took a minibus to the hotel in the old town and, after freshening up, walked to a restaurant overlooking the Bosporus for a typical Turkish meal. The blue Mosque was floodlit by the time we returned home to the Sultana Cesme Hotel with night flying gulls swooping around.		Turkey, Istanbul is in the West, Kurdish Van in the East		An alley in Old Town Istanbul		A fast cat
. Trading late into the evening		Old Wooden town houses		Built at various times on different levels		This Bazaar was still open
Above and below the street level		A Cushion Shop		Dusk at Aya Sofia (4 Minarets)		The view of the Bosporus from the open air part of the restaurant
An ancient doorway		Floodlit with nocturnal gulls swooping round the Blue Mosque		A textile shop		Lamps and Hookahs for sale
No customers here		T An old water point		The Sultana Cesme Hotel is a quiet, old fashioned, "rooms only", hotel on a narrow street in the old city part of Istanbul. There is no lift and other vehicles cannot get past while the minibus is loading but motorist are quite tolerant with just an occasional hoot.		Homeward bound
THURSDAY 24th May Day1
We had a very early start to get to Istanbul Airport by 5am where we ate breakfast after check-in. Then, after a 2hr flight to Van, a minibus drive to near Dogubeyazit (altitude 1625m) sitting below mount Ararat, the Sim-Er Hotel. The journey involved several stops to botanize/bird watch.		Istanbul Airport Cafe		Our plane arrives at Van and is reflected in the windows		The welcoming committee (unofficial)
Modern Van ringed by snow capped mountains		A new roadside Mosque		Solar hot water generators as appear on most new middle class houses		Hooded Crow
Rag and Bone man?		Green beetle on a buttercup		Bugs on orchid		Pedicularis comosa
Dactylorhiza osmanica		Ixiolirion tartaricum		Euphorbia
Euphorbia ?		Lake Van was formed thousands of years ago when the Nemrut Volcano blew up and blocked the river that had fed the Euphrates. In fact, the whole landscape is clothed in volcanic fallout plus some lava fields. This means it is very dusty and fertile while the water of the lake has become increasingly full of dissolved salts such as Sodium Carbonate and can be used for washing clothes		Iris barnumae		Habitat
Chaerophyllum		Scorzonera mollis		Landscape near Dogubeyazit		Discovered wandering around
Habitat		Salvia multicaulis		Cotula		Yellow Vetch, Birds Foot Trefoil
Pretty far east for a European species		The pond		l Euphorbia		Astragalus caraganae
Edible Frog?		Jandarma Check Point. They are rural, military and border police like French Gendarmes		Common Blue Female		Singing for a mate
Wobbly suspension bridge Astragalus halicacabus		Map of the Van area		Muradiye Falls Lunch stop		Falls Cafe for lunch, looking left Looking right, Heather Samit and Sali
Phelypaea tournefortii		Phelypaea tournefortii parasite on Tanacetum species		Muslin Moth?		Common Blue
Lesser Fiery Copper		Iris Iberica elegantissima		Iris Iberica elegantissima		River near the lake
Buttercups		A redder Form		Iris Iberica elegantissima		Frog
Small Argent and Sable Moth?		Mountain Herd		Village boys who should be in school		Typical Hill Village
Alan with Mount Ararat and Little Ararat on the horizon		Ranunculus kochii		Merendera kurdica		Pasque Flowers
Mysotis alpestris		Helen botanizing		Watched by a bear?		Shepherdess and dog
Seed heads		Anemone narcissiflorum		Erigeron Caucasicus		The latest bonnet
Arnebia pulchra		Adonis eriocalycina		Adonis eriocalycina		Broomrape
Primula auriculata						Wasp?
A Secondary School		Agama Lizard		Bug
Henbane		Shepherdess and flock		Adonis wolgensis		Agama Lizard doing display press ups.
Pushkinia		Mount Ararat on the horizon		Pulsatilla albana		Gentiana Verna
Primula elatior subsp. pelasii		Merendera kurdica		Anemone narcissiflorum		Muscari
		Androsace villosa		Allium akaka		Geranium
FRIDAY 25th May Day 2
The Sim-Er Hotel is used by group tours and travellers to Iran but the owner has planted trees around which are watered by the waste from the hotels own bore hole. An oasis in a bare landscape We spent the day exploring the Tendurek Pass (2644 meters) between Dogubeyazit and Caldiran		Mount Ararat from our Hotel		Fritillaries		Tulipa armena
Tulip habitat		Tulipa armena		Natural Road material		Gravel Depot
Hills behind our hotel showing fallout layers		Hilltop police forts		Moving house		Old Lava Field
Hotel Foyer		Hotel Dining Room/Restaurant		The PPK, based mainly in Kurdish Iraq, penetrated into the Van area some years ago but were beaten back, and the government in Istanbul's support for revitalisation and recent earthquake relief has lessened their support from the Kurdish population. All is now quiet but the numerous police checks continue		Blue Iris
Hotel Water Borehole		Hotel outdoor dining tent		Hotel Front door		Fruit Stall
SATURDAY 26th May. Day 3
.We went on to the Cilli Pass and Ishak Pasha Palace having been stopped on the way by two Istanbul Polis, they were not happy being banished from their home town		Shops		Long view of Isak Pasa Palace		Main Gate
Vault cover		Decorative stone Panels		Doorway		Decorative stone Panel
		Note the Chimney		Ancient Castle, new Mosque etc		Rain is coming
Newer Mosque		Isak Pasa Palace was once on the Silk Route, its construction was started in 1685 by Colak Abdi Pasha, the Kurdish bey of Beyazit province during Ottoman times. It was completed by Ishak Pasha, his grandson, in 1784 but it was more an administrative centre than fort and was abandoned when the population moved down to the plain.		Monica surveys the view in the Cilli Pass area
Iris caucasica		Dead thistle		Scandix iberica		Common Blue
Androsace villosa		Plant accessories depot		Stork on its nest		Empty six lane highway
Roadside Cafe		It seems that all the major roads in the area are being improved to six lane highways. As most lead towards to Iran it has been suggested that it is American money. There is an enormous amount of work going on revitalising the area, especially needed after last years devastating earthquake		A poor village Mosque		Panorama
Polygala		Campanula stevenii		Gladiolus atroviolaceous		Polygala
Scree slopes lunch area		We looked on the screes above Isak Pasa Palace for red and yellow tulips before lunch but they were over. The volcanic ash scree was difficult for those less agile as they gave way easily. The locals picnic-ing were very friendly and curious. John helped translation with drawing				Gypsophila pulvinaris on the rock face
Looking towards Iran in the dusk. The horizontal line half way up is the lorry queue in Iran, too dark for my camera		Looking towards Iran from the meteor crater		Meteor Crater		In 1892 a Meteor fell in Eastern Turkey, the noise of the strike was heard several miles away. The cater is cylindrical, 35m diameter, 60m deep and is the second largest in the world, but unfortunately mud has fallen into the crater filling it by several metres.
Orobanche cernua		Geranium		Small Heath		Adonis
Monica walks through the Geraniums. Snow in winter, snow melt floods followed by an arid summer.		The meteor crater was very close to the border with Iran and we had to leave License and Documents with the Border Guards when we visited. For 10Km back one side of the road was blocked with lorries, double parked, and we could see similar on the other side. We were told there was a three day delay. There were no facilities for the waiting drivers!		Geranium tuberosum		Ixiolirion tartaricum
SUNDAY 27th May. Day 4
We left Dogubeyazit and drove around the lake to Tatvan at the western end. The Hotel Kardelen, hopes to serve as a ski centre in winter and the ski lift is ready to go when the snow comes. As it is at 582 m the heating was on. The staff transferred from the old Hotel Kardelen to the new and were trying hard.		Gravel Quarry		Gravel Works		Silene alba
Dactylorhiza		Orchid		Primula		Maggie approaches some Orchids
Frog		Lizard		Scrophularia orientalis		Sempervivum
Agricultural tools for sale		Tractors for sale		Cafe Society		Starling nest
Diesel from water carboys		Twice we stopped at small roadside private garages and refilled the minibuses from large used water bottles full of diesel. We wondered why and could the proximity of the Iran border have any bearing on this?		Spectator		Poppy
Frog		Centauria		Freyer's Fritillary Butterfly		Ixiolirion
Bug		Terrapins basking		River lunch stop and long view of terrapins		Astragalus Onobrychis
Common Blue on astragalus		Common Blue		Habitat		Tatvan Lakeside Trees
Hyacyamus albus		Trifolium purpureum		Farmer and family at Golduzu		Road block
Tethered calf		Calf's mother		Ian was doing a survey of the endangered White Headed Ducks who leave their eggs to incubate in the warm shallow water of Lake Arin. Although the marsh and shallow lagoon teamed with birdlife my camera was not good enough to get any reasonable photos.		White Headed Ducks
Soda Lake near Golduzu		New wall and poplars round the orchid site		Orchis pseudolaxiflora		White Orchid
Yellow		Habitat				Lake Van and Tatvan from Hotel Kardelen
MONDAY 28th May. Day 5
We spent the day in the extinct Nemrut's 7km diameter crater with its Lava Fields, Aspen Scrub and lake side flora.		Snow remains to the left and Crater Lake is beyond		Nemrut Crater rim		Euphorbia macrocarpa
Ornithogalum		Rindera lanata		Iris caucasica		Euphorbia
Scorzonera mollis		Lunch stop beside the smaller crater lake		Basalt, Obsidian etc rocks		Note snow on crater rim
Aspen Scrub		Potentilla		Viewing the hot spring		Linum mucronatum
Satellite view of the crater, the small lake is at top right		Natural Bonzai		Pushkinia nemrut dagi		The lake in Nemrut Crater is divided into two by a lava flow. A hot spring flows into the small lake which helps to make the boulder scree above it a popular place for snakes to hibernate in, below the snow. We saw sloughed snake skins and the odd tail and felt the hot spring water.
Saxifrage		Sempervivum in fissure		Pushkinia		Pasque Flowers
Fritillaria minuta		Globularia Trichosantha		Fritillaria minuta		Buttercups
Fumitory asepala				Tea or Chay is the main drink of the locals. Produced in double boilers, water below the tea, with sugar added for softies. Instant coffee is also available. There is even a boiler monument in Van celebrating the social impact of tea.		Snake skin
Bee on Euphorbia				Ground Beetle		Buttercups
a Heather and Basak				Valerianella		Puff Ball fungus
Linum		Red beetle on a Euphobia		Fumitory asepala		Linum
Geranium tuberosum		Gagea		Habitat		Iris caucasica
Sedum		Pamela takes a slide		Habitat in snow melt		Merendera persica
Hotel Kardelen		Local Inhabitant, spur thighed tortoise		Glaucium grandiflorum		Glaucium grandiflorum
Earthquake damage		Suslik as pictured on the web		There was a Central Asian Suslik who popped out of his hole to be watched by the very early breakfasters at the hotel but it avoided photographers.		Globularia Cordifolia on hotel front slope
TUESDAY 29th May. Day 6.
Basak took George, Heather, Helen, Monica, Pamela and Peter on a two hour drive to Sason, the start of the climb to find Iris Gatesii on Halkis dag, 5,504 ft A guide's nephews helped to carry the lunch and water. Those who had no sticks used branches which helped with balance. Ian took the rest of the party to Boluk Yazi		Spectators		Snacks		Cafe
Mixed Traffic		Dirt Road		Valley		More Chay
Queue for the Loo		Heather climbed over a wall to take this bug.		Cows drinking from the Bitlis River which becomes the Tigris		Walking to the minibus stop. There are minibus services to all villages
Monica photos Iris Gatesii seed heads		Last year the AGS Group climbed Mount Halkis and found that the Iris Gatesii were not yet out, very frustrating, but when they came down they found them flowering on this grave.		Pamela, Helen and Guide look down, The nephew carried Heathers tripod		Egyptian Grasshopper
Campanula reuterana		Poppy?		Lesser Spotted Fritillary		Gentiana olivieri
Purple		Glanville Fritillary		Ant with dead Grasshopper		Campanula involucrata
Gentiana Olivieri		Onosma albo-roseum		Green Cricket
Mount Halkis, 1738m, is north of Batman near the village of Sason.		Grasshopper		Orobanche		Mountain flower garden
Green Toad		Iris Gatesii		Two members turned back as the climb was vey steep to 5000ft with two traverses across screes with footholds scraped out in the ash by our local guide. Basak had to collect 4 iris corms to boost the collection in the Istanbul Botanical Garden. These got thoroughly battered by the hail storm that hit us (painfully) on the way down, hailstones sugar cube sized delivered with force.		Iris Gatesii
Heather takes the hills opposite, white with hailstones		Thistle		Thistles		Shoppers
WEDNESDAY 30th May Day 7
We went to Tugkoyn to see a peony on the land behind a farm where the locals were curious about us, as they were at most locations and then on to the south shore of Lake Van. Then up to the Kizkunkiran Pass		More tea		Worry beads		Watch the Traffic
Academy		Hanging Out		Farm buildings		Thinking
A small flock of sheep		Furry Scarab		Aethionomena grandiflora		Aethionomena grandiflora
Orchid		Animals kept below?		Noctuid Moth		Peonia maculata and bugs
Farm		Farm women		Farm Toddler		Washing wild Greens
Beetles Mating on achillea		Lunch spot just by the road widening. Alan centre stage		Green Fly		Gundelia tournefolia
Bugs and Burnet Moth on Gundelia		Painted Lady		Moth, highly decorated		Grass Wave Moth
Zephyr Blue		Cricket		Common Blue		Fungus the size of a dinner plate
		Cephalanthera kotschyana		Buttercup
Gladiola		Lathyrus undulatus		Scrambles like a Sweet Pea		Bee Orchid
Hummingbird Hawk Moth	Spider eats fly	Row of out-of- focus shots	Grizzled Skipper	Carpenter Bee	Orange Tip?	Muscari	Dung Beetle
Orobanche		Glanville Fritillary		A grumpy Bee Orchid		It seems that the traditional women wear a heavy, long coat in drab colours and a head scarf when outside, but "modern" women and westerners cause no comment. The country women often wear the baggy "harem" trousers.
31st May Day 9
We set off for the Karabet Pass, up to 9500ft. We caused the local Jandarma (probably bored stiff) to see what we were up to, especially as a minibus broke down beside us and they had to borrow a tow rope. This was later returned at the Police Post		Margaret sets off
On the cliff face		Potentilla lignosa		Local Jandarma decide we need to be investigated		Potentilla lignosa
Wash day						Karen birding
A carpet of small flowers		Puschkinia		Ranunculus kochii		Puschkinia
		Sheila botanising		Gagea
Merendera		Clouded Yellow				Fritillaria minuta
Fritillaria crassifolia				Tulipa humilis		Fritillaria crassifolia
Tulipa humilis		Tulipa armena		Nonea		Fritillaria crassifolia
Tulipa juliae		Fuzzy Red Scarab Leaving the tulip		Fuzzy red worms interact		Fritillary Inside
				Tulipa juliae		Tulipa humilis
Iris caucasica		Rock Garden		Pamela snaps Sheila and Basak, Helen snaps a flower		Tulipa armena
Wayside Mosque and loo		Orange Aphid		Two Beetles in Ornithogalum		Karen and John spot Eagles
Merendera kurdica				Merendera kurdica		Fritillary Pudica
		Merendera kurdica		In traditional trousers, she is planting seeds		Merendera kurdica
				We were told that the Turks take a pride in the inside of their houses however, dust, poverty and no mains water must make that difficult
FRIDAY 1st June Day 8
The Merit Hotel was of a higher standard with lifts, baths, free wi-fi etc and even managed on- line check in at the end. The only snag was late running birthday parties where everyone did "Greek" dances. We were also able to use their contractor "courtesy bus" when one of ours broke down. We set off for the Ercek Lake		Hotel Facade only slightly cracked by the earthquake		Hotel Jetty with sail style shades		Early Breakfast with Alan & Heather
Papaver apulum		Orchid		Orchid		Convolvulus lineatus
Small Heath Butterfly		Yellow vetch		Convolvulus galacticus		Silver Studded Blue
Orchid		A sheep left its footprints		Orchid Pink form		Orchid White form
Ian surveys orchid numbers		Anthemis		Anthericum ramosum		Helen
A farm woman		Black Winged Stilts		Farm		Turkish Trousers
Sand Martin nests		Washing up		George lunching		Glaucium grandiflorum
More washing		Poppies		Beetle Orgy		Achillea
Dung drying for winter fuel		Scabious rotata		Digging the field		Pea
Heather chats to the locals		Basak photographs a cow		Proud mum		Grandma's turn
		Papaver persica		Coast Road
SATURDAY 2nd June Day 9
We set off for the Zernek Reservoir, Guzeldere Pass and Albayrak		From our Window
By the Zernak reservoir		Astragalus				Ground Beetle
Hyacyamus Reticulatus		Verbascum		Caterpillar
Iris paradoxa		Tiny black flowers		Iris paradoxa		Lizard
Iris paradoxa				Sentry post		Hilltop Jandarma post overlooking Guzeldere Pass
Iris paradoxa		Iris paradoxa		Poppy
						Iris paradoxa
Small Heath and Silver Studded Blue (Odd Spot?)		Vetch, Birds Foot Trefoil.		Red form of Hyacyamus albus
There is a nomad camp by the road, they may have travelled from down by the Syria border to the Albayrak area		Two of the nomadic people		Nomadic tents		Linaria
Hybrid Iris		Balkan Green Lizard off the net.		The one that got away! The Balkan Green Lizard was far too fast for me to photograph as were a lot of the Butterflies who just would not settle		Hybrid Iris
Moth		Iris urmiensis		Iris urmiensis		Cricket
Iranian border is at the foot of the far escarpment		Centaurea karduchorum		Hosap Castle		Hosap Castle
Main Gate		Perimeter Wall		Hosap Castle		Hosap Castle built in 1643 by a Kurdish Chieftain Mahmudi Suleyman but has been restored in recent times.
SUNDAY 3rd June Day 10
Off to the Catak Valley Iris field		Bee Eater		A sparrow squatting in a Bee Eater's nest!		Shop
Iris Sari		Aethionema grandiflora		Iris Sari		Turkish Fiery Coppers
Lizard		Hybrid Iris		Hybrid Iris		Iris
Cavusteppe built by the Urartian king Sarduri II, 756-730 BC . This a copy of the Cuneiform dedication on the right		Urartian canal system below Cavusteppe		The base of the outer wall shows. The storeroom with pithois for storing oil and grain remains intact. They were an Iron age people		Along the top of Cavusteppe Fortress
MONDAY 4th June Day 11
Akdarma Island and Carpet the Factory Harbour for boats going to Akdarma Island		Ian, Basak and our two drivers		Wild Roses		Single Rose
Armenian Church built 915-921 by Vaspurakan King Gagik I		Church Interior				Roemeria refracta
Christian Gravestone		Interior and murals		A bride visiting for photographs, not the wedding		Lizard
						Decorative Panel
Island Harbour		Eastern Bath White		Island Cafe		Decorative Panels
Akadamar Restaurant for lunch		View through a spoon		Akadamar Restaurant		Caged Van cat kept for breeding behind fine chicken wire to keep in the kittens
Carpet Factory Gate		Water Supply?		Amanda's Blue Butterfly		Government funded Trainee Weavers
Business discussion?		Unsure of herself?		Van Cat Painting on the wall		The loos (for Tourists)
Ordering drinks, tea, wine, arak anything!		Sheila and Helen demonstrate a carpet roof		and a dusty carpet bed.		and then the sales pitch. Monica did buy a runner.
TUESDAY 5th June Day 12
To Van Castle and home to UK. Prefabricated houses				Prefab City, Earthquake refugees		Van Castle
Typical (wealthy) house		Ancient Bridge rebuilt		The park		Inside the rock with steps to the King's elevated position
David in the chamber carved from the rock		Van Castle has been occupied by all the various conquers who have passed through Van: Armenians, Romans, Medes, Achaemenid and Sassanid Persians, Arabs, Seljuks, Ottomans and Russians. The climb up was quite a struggle!		Gate with drink sellers
Rear of the Ottoman gate		Polis Chay Break		Rare?		Spring, useful in a siege
Ian		Visitors to the park		Having been up by 0500hrs, UK time, we were home soon after midnight and were very tired and spent several days recovering! I am sorry we did not have time to see the giant heads at Nemrut National Park.		Helen's Geo-Tags