Turkey. Eastern Anatolian region (Турция.Регион восточной Анатолии)

The Toros (Taurus) Mountains p a ra lle ling Tur ke y's southern border and the Black Sea Mountains in the north meet to form a mighty range w hic h defines the country's eastern border.

The trem end ous diversity of the eastern and southeastern lands surprises travele re: the red ochre plateau of Erzu rum; the fo res ts , waterfalls, and green pastures of Kars and Agn ; the permanent sno wca p on biblical Mount Ag rl (Ara rat) ; and the immense Lake Van with its deep b lue waters. Dwellings an d ways of life also vary greatly in this large re gio n. For example , small , earth-roofed houses, built close to the ground typ ify Kars. De sp ite a g enerally austere life , the people of Kars are generous and hospitable. The re g ion's long and turb ulen t h istory h as left monuments to its various civili zations; Byzantine monasteries an d c hu rches, Se ljuk m ausoleums and caravanserais, and elegant Ottoman mosques

and hilltop citadels. To the inveterate traveler and lover of adventure, this region of Turkey fascinates , astonishes and informs.

FROM ERZiNCAN TO DOGUBAYAZIT The great trans-Anatonan axis road, is the most direct route between Ankara and the Iranian border, and passes through Sivas , Erzincan, Erzurum , Agfl and Dogubayazlt.

Erzlncan, o ne o f the import an t ci ties in the reg io n, lies 688 km east o f Ankara on a fertile pl ain. The hig hly-d ec or ated and ha nd-fashioned copperware of Erzin c an maintains a long tradition in the are a's fame for m et alw or k . Akbulut Ski Center, 40 km to the west , provides facil ities for w inter sports en thusiasts. Dumanll Plateau in Refa hiye County is a relaxing loc atio n among pine trees. The e levatio ns of the ski center and p lateau are both 2000 m . Erzincan has two sports clu b that p lay 'c l r it' , a javelin game of da redevil horsemanship in which wooden javelins are thrown at horseman of opposing team s to gain points. The game is played mainly in Eastern Turkey. Many of the magnificent bronze objects in the Museum of Anatouan CMlizations in An kara were fo und at the nearby Urartian site of Altlntepe , east of Erzinc a n. The items date from 900-600 BC. At Teresn , the round 12th-century mausoleum of Mama Hatun with its beautifully carved stone

po rta l is worth a detour off the main roa d . The waterfalls at Glrvellk, 29 km southeast of Erzinc an, provide ide al pic nic spots where you c an eat a pa c ked lunc h and relax to the sou nd of wa ter tumbling ove r roc ks . Southwest of Erzinca n is the beautiful g reen town of Kemallye on the First (Euphrates) River. The hospitality of the locals and the arc hitec ture of the to w n are w orth a visit. The b est p lace for ra fting and canoeing is at nearby Karanhk Bogaz. You will also w ant to go on a photo sa fari to take in the natu ral b eauty of th e area. Erzurum, 193 k m east o f Erz inca n and the largest city in east ern A natona , sprawls on a hig h

plateau at an altitude of 1,950 meters. As you enter the city , the large Aziziye Monument commemorating the Turkish-Russian war will catch your eye . Although the collection in the archaeological museum reveals much of the city's history and ancient origins , it is Erzurum's architecture which is in fact the best picture of its past. The city walls and fortress are reminiscent of the period of Byzantine rule. The 5th-century citadel bui lt by Emperor Theocosius stands on a hill at an altitude of 2000 meters. Of particular importance are the remaining Seljuk buildings - brilliant examples of a fascinating aesthetic. The Ulu Cami (Grand Mosque) was built in 1179 by Melik Nasreddin Mehmet (Mehmet the Red Lion) . It has an unusual form with seven wide naves. The Citte Minareli Medrese, or theological college , bui lt by the Seljuk

Sultan Alaeddin Keykubat in 1253 , astonishes visitors w ith elaborate stone carvings on its portal and its majestic double minarets . Behind the