Van Province Information & Van Province Links at HealthHaven.com

Van Province
Van Province
Location of Van Province in Turkey
Overview
Region:	Eastern Anatolia Region, Turkey
Area:	19,069 (km²)
Total Population	1,012,707 TUIK 2007 (est)
Licence plate code:	65
Area code:	0276
Governor Website	http://www.van.gov.tr

Van is a province in eastern Turkey, between Lake Van and the Iranian border. It is 19,069 km² in area and has a population of 1,012,707 .

Its adjacent provinces are Bitlis to the west, Siirt to the southwest, Şırnak and Hakkari to the south, and Agri to the north. The capital is Van. The province and the surrounding area is the home of famous Van kedisi (Van cat).

[edit] Districts

Van province is divided into 12 districts (district capitals in bold):

[edit] History

In the 9th century BC, the Van area was the center of the Urartian kingdom ^[1]. In 908-1021 was central part of Armenian Kingdom of Vaspurakan, then joined Byzantine Empire. With the Seljuk victory at the Battle of Malazgirt in 1071, just north of Lake Van [1], it became a part of Seljuk Empire and later the Ottoman Empire. For centuries after that, the area was a major Armenian population center.

[edit] Gallery

Medieval Armenian monasteries in the Van Province
The Armenian Cathedral of the Holy Cross (10th c.) on Akhtamar Island	The Armenian Monastery of Narek (10th c.)	Varagavank Armenian monastery (11th c.)	The Armenian Monastery of Saint Bartholomew (13th c.)