We had driven all day to arrive in Dogubayazit, a far-flung outpost in Eastern Turkey, lured by the Ishak Pasha Palace which Lonely Planet bestows with a One Thousand and One Night’s romanticism.
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Arriving in Dogubayazit.
The first 70 km of the day’s journey from Tortum to Erzurum was on the excellent Erzurum Artvin Yolu highway D950 that held little traffic and was bordered by snow covered mountains. To my now shame, we did not visit Erzurum. All I can say in our defence is we underestimated the time spent exploring the Kackar Mountains to the north and paid the price on this leg. We refueled on the outskirts of Erzurum before joining the D100 another fantastic road heading the final 280 km east. Along the way we had views of vast brown grasslands (darker brown where ploughed) and always a captivating backdrop of snowy mountains.
Dogubayazit Trivia.
Sitting at 1625 metres itself, it is surrounded by five of Turkey’s highest mountains, the most well known being Ararat (5137 m) which lies only 15 km to the south-west.
Border Crossing.
The busiest Turkish border crossing with Iran is a tantalizing 35 km away.
Ishak Pasha Palace.
The building of the palace was a family affair, started in 1685 by Colak Pasha (or Pasa), taking on it’s final form in 1784 under Ishak Pasha, with Mehmet Pasha adding final touches. Ottoman in design, it is said to be a hybrid of Ottoman, Persian, Armenian, Georgian and Seljuk architectural styles!
We arrived into the chaos of afternoon peak hour – when else? Settled in a basic room of the very unremarkable (except for the views) budget hotel we walked up several flights of stairs to reach the lounge/dining room.
The continuous windows on three sides provided a visual feast, but my eyes were drawn to a sunny patch on the hills in front. In particular to a small but beautiful building hovering in the light… could it be?
A Dutch couple, recuperating on the couch (from Dogu Belly), confirmed it was indeed the Ishak Pasha Palace. Sometimes I feel I have a guiding star. It was a pity that my star didn’t prevent me from getting the same ailment as the Dutch couple in the days to come.
Q. Can you see the palace?
Hint. It is mid-mountain and right of middle, above the final red roof.
The next morning we hurried upstairs looking forward to breakfast followed by a much anticipated Palace visit, only to find the scene dramatically changed.
The palace rested in a blanket of snow.
Our hotel manager assured us there wouldn’t be a problem reaching the site, but we wasted no time in case it started snowing again.
Ismail Besikci Caddesi, the main restaurant street, leads directly from the Town Centre, 6 km to the palace. On arrival we were pleasantly surprised to find only one other vehicle in the Carpark. From above it was easy to see the controversial shelters erected to protect the buildings.
The debate over spoiling the romanticism or preserving for the future, rages on. In either case there has also been major reconstruction work carried out.
Goosebumps washed over me when I stepped onto the terrace. The glitz and glamour of European Palaces is not something I would personally desire, but to have a Turkish Palace Terrace like this to call my own would be a dream come true. Standing on the edge of the terrace is magnificent. The sheer drop off, the views to the mountains and down into the valley – a terrace made for a ruler. I retreated to safety to take this photo.
The green tinge to the hills is from the mineral Malachite.
Every Palace needs a Dungeon.
21 steps beneath the guards room are six cells. During restoration it was noted that one of the cells had no entrance. However, the diary of Jaubert a secret officer of Napoleon who was jailed in the dungeons in 1805 explains that prisoners were lowered by rope through a hole in the roof.
Tomb of a Turkish Poet.
Behind and to the right of the Palace is the tomb of the Turkish poet Ahmedi Hani, who put the legendary Kurdish love story of Mem and Zin into written word in 1695. This area has a strong proud Kurdish heritage and the tomb is classified as a sacred monument. If you are lucky enough to find it open, appropriate dress is required and shoes should be removed before entering.
A Mosque for the People.
Standing at the entrance to the Palace and looking to the hills behind you can see a mosque built by Silim I The Grim.
We climbed the impressive walkway to the mosque to peek through the windows and then loitered on the terrace enjoying the view of the palace from a different perspective. This mosque is a people’s mosque.
The mosque within the palace was for palace use only.
Ruined Fortress.
A ruined fortress built by the Urartians (Urartia predated Armenian) clings to the rock above the mosque. Unfortunately the tomb and mosque were closed and as far as we could tell the fortress does not open to the public.
If you feel adventurous it is possible to climb the hills to the upper section for the fabulous views but it is considered quite dangerous. Eskibayazit (old Bayazit) was destroyed by the Turkish Army in 1930.
Climbing to the Peoples Mosque.
Covers or No Covers?
It is true that the protective covers spoil the romantic feel of the place, but they do ensure a visit during any type of weather, and hopefully will slow deterioration from the elements.
The Setting.
From below the Palace has an exotic stage presence, while from above I felt humbled by the grandeur of the scene – the mountains at our back, the palace before us and Dogubayazit (new Bayazit) huddled on the plain below.
A Biblical Scene.
The mineral greens and pinks of the bald hills that unfold into the distance do have a definite biblical air about them although the nearby much visited Noah’s Ark site is of questionable authenticity.
Linked to BUDGET TRAVELERS SANDBOX and TRAVEL PHOTO DISCOVERY.
Budget Talk
Palace Entrance was 7 tl.
Mini Buses leave from the main street but only when full – 2tl each.
A return taxi that waits one hour should cost around 30tl.
The speed limit on the highway is 90 kph
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You MUST have a guiding star! What a marvelous place. 🙂 I would love to explore it and take heaps of pictures, just like you. 🙂 (sorry about the upset tummy – that is dreadful!!)
I am very lucky as far as upset stomachs go Krista. Usually Marty gets them but this time it was my turn. It’s got to happen sometimes when eating in far flung places.
This is amazing, Jan! The Palace is absolutely stunning. I love the mystique and history of it. Always boggles my mind to see something that will built so many hundreds of years ago. I would be most fascinated with the dungeons 🙂
My husband was interested in the dungeons as well Mike. Must be a boy thing 🙂 As you know I loved that terrace the best, lol.
The palace is stunning, like nothing I have heard about before…..but those dudgeons – how scary it must have been to be lowered down by rope!
The snow makes it more magical – actually it would make a perfect place for a wedding 🙂
I agree that the snow really added to the appeal. The wedding would have to be an Islamic one Lisa 🙂 But I think it would be wonderfully romantic up there.
Absolutely stunning, Jan! I can appreciate the controversy of erecting the protective covers. However, if it keeps the site around for a long time to come, then well worth it. Thanks for another great tour of Turkey!
Yes I think overall the covers are for the best. I do wish I had seen it before though 🙂
What a beautiful palace! And that view is gorgeous. Love all the eclectic mix of architecture.
Yes Tonya the views were beautiful. I loved the mellow colours and the snow was lovely. I also think it would look great if the hill was green.
The palace looks fascinating and so beautiful with the snow around on the ground. Only 35kms from the Iran border…it would be so very tempting for me to cross it! I must look into it for our visit to this part of Turkey
It is quite close to Van as well Jenny 🙂
Gosh what a romantic spot. The view looks superlative … what a feeling you must get. Also some of your pics of inside the palace conjured up a definite feeling of “things have happened here”. Such mystery. Your photos were super, Jan.
Thanks Jo. I hoped they did the palace justice 🙂
Amazing palace 🙂
It sure was Lily.
Marvellous! I so enjoyed reading this story Jan, and seeing your lovely photos. I was transported! Nothing like a bit of armchair travelling, should we call it laptop travelling these days? How distant that spot is in Turkey, so far far away from where I sit in Sydney, a treat to get there tonight.
Glad I could oblige Seana. I love reading blogs from far away places. Lately I have been reading them from Georgia, Iran and Iraq. 🙂
Jan – this is a phenomenal part of the world. I love the golden light in the one photograph. I would get goosebumps looking out at that scenery. What a setting and such an exotic part of the world.
I have to pinch myself Leigh when I look back on our Turkish trip. I feel very privledged. I love that golden light photograph too, it was the first time I set eyes on the palace.
We loved Isak Pasha..We went in the summer and it was just gorgeous. These photos are stunning and really captures the area well. Love it!
That is one magnificent palace. I’ve never seen a blend of those architectural styles and it’s really interesting. Love those carvings. Beautiful photos, Jan!
Thanks Mary. A beautiful palace in a great setting. 🙂
This has always been on my bucket list but thanks to your wonderful photos, I am thinking I should move it further to the top! How wonderful.
I was lucky to see the palace and Ani, but missed out on Sanliurfa and Nemrut Dagi 🙁
Impressive, Jan. I love the views and the architectural details. I agree: it’d be great to have one of these.
That pre-snow and snowy photo made me smiled. I read that it was restored in the 1800s.
Impressive, Jan. I love the views and the architectural details. I agree: it’d be great to have one of these.
The snow gives the photo such a different look.
As I’ve never heard of Ishak Pasha Palace, I wasn’t sure what to expect. Your photos are fantastic and really transport me there. My goodness, that’s such a change from the afternoon when it was bathed in golden light to the snow covered scene the next day. Did the palace once have ceilings that collapsed or are the shelters over an open air area?
The area gets a lot of snow in Winter so it would have needed to have a roof. The protective roofs are to ensure the rooms deteriorate less in the future. This is what I believe.
Liked the shot of the carvings best.
Good One!