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Akdamar Island (Akdamar Adası) is the second largest island in Lake Van, located in Eastern Anatolia. It’s home to a historic 10th century Armenian cathedral.
Brief History of Akdamar Island
Akdamar Island, known as Aght’amar (Աղթամար) in Armenian, covers an area of 0.7 square kilometers and sits about 3 kilometers from the shoreline. In the 10th century, Armenian King Gagik I Artsruni chose the island to build a residential complex. The only surviving building from the complex is the Holy Cross Cathedral, which later became part of a monastery in 1131.
Between 1196 and 1895, Akdamar Island hosted the Catholicosate of Aghtamar, an independent see of the Armenian Apostolic Church. The monastery continued to operate until April 1915, when the monks were massacred during the Armenian Genocide. The cathedral was looted and the buildings were demolished.
In the years following, the reliefs on the church were used as a shooting range. It was set to be demolished in 1951, but Turkish writer and human rights activist Yaşar Kemal (1923-2015) managed to persuade a military officer to stop the destruction. Two days later, on June 25, 1951, the Minister of Education Avni Başman (1887-1965) ordered the local governor to permanently stop the demolition.
The Holy Cross Cathedral was restored between May 2005 and October 2006. Akdamar Island reopened as a museum on March 29, 2007, in a ceremony attended by Turkish government officials and a delegation from Armenia. The first Divine Liturgy in 95 years took place in the church on September 19, 2010. A service has taken place in the church annually since then.
Visiting Akdamar Island
To get to Akdamar Island, you’ll have to take a boat from the Akdamar Pier (Akdamar İskelesi) near the town of Gevaş. You can catch a minibus from Van or Tatvan to Gevaş, but it’s more convenient and much less time consuming if you have your own car. The drive takes about 45 minutes from Van and 90 minutes from Tatvan. There’s plenty of parking on both sides of the road.
Round-trip ferry rides cost 150₺ per person (as of August 2024). There’s no schedule and boats leave when there are enough people to make the trip. It takes about 20 minutes to get to the island. We were fortunate to get on a ferry within 5 minutes of arriving. It’s a pleasant ride with some beautiful scenery along the way.
Once on the island, you’ll have to get a ticket. Admission for foreigners is €12 (as of August 2024) and audioguides are available. You’ll have plenty of time to explore the church and ruins, and when you’re finished, you can hop on any boat back to the shoreline. Check the official website of the Akdamar Monumental Museum (Akdamar Anıt Müzesi) for more info.
Holy Cross Cathedral
After purchasing tickets, the path leads up to a courtyard dominated by the Holy Cross Cathedral (Turkish: Surp Haç Kilisesi, Armenian: Surp Khachʿ egeghetsʿi). It was designed by architect and monk Manuel and built between 915 and 921. It’s based on a form of architecture developed in Armenia several centuries earlier.
The church is on a cruciform plan and topped by a dome. There are entrances on the south and west sides. A bell tower was added later. The cross on the dome, which was removed during the Armenian Genocide, was replaced on October 2, 2010.
Bell Tower
The bell tower of the Holy Cross Cathedral is on the south side of the church and stands three stories high. It rests on four piers measuring 90 centimeters wide x 1.2 meters high. On the third floor is the pyramid-shaped bell tower sitting on six columns.
Reliefs on the Holy Cross Cathedral
The most striking features of the Holy Cross Cathedral are the stone reliefs on the façade. They depict saints, scenes from the Old and New Testament, and animal figures. There are also secular scenes and floral patterns around the entire church as well as crosses carved into the walls by pilgrims.
First, among the reliefs on the left side of the southern façade are medallions containing St. Luke, St. Martin Stephanos, Prophets Sophonias and Osoria, and an unidentified figure; the story of Jonah and the whale; Christ Pantocrator and the Virgin Mary with Christ; Vaspurakan Prince St. Hamazasp and his brother St. Sahak; and David and Goliath.
On the eastern façade, you’ll see St. John the Apostle on the pediment; a figure possibly representing the Abbasid Caliph; Adam; St. John the Baptist; St. Gregory the Illuminator; Apostles Jude and Bartholomew; Prophet Elias; and St. Thomas.
The northern façade features St. Mark on the pediment; the story of Adam and Eve; three young Jewish men being cast into the furnace; and Daniel in the lion’s den.
The western façade is a bit more difficult to see. Reliefs include St. Matthew on the pediment; the Seraphim; and King Gagik I Artsruni of Vaspurakan presenting a model of the church to Christ.
Community Hall
The western entrance to the church is via the Community Hall. It’s on a square plan and measures 12.7 x 12.3 meters. The main door and three small windows are on the western façade while there’s another door 70 centimeters wide on the south side.
The door on the west side is 96 centimeters wide and 1.5 meters high. On the pediment above the door is an inscription and a decorative cross relief with a rosette and six-pointed star motifs. There are other decorations on top of the pediment and to the right of the door.
Inside, four piers support the roof and vaulted ceilings. The floor of the hall is 1.2 meters lower than the church floor. The entrance to the church is through the east door via four steps, and there’s a khachkar (cross stone) embedded in a wall.
An Armenian inscription dated June 1, 1884, is on display in the Community Hall. It reads:
I am the servant of Jesus and in need of your prayers. Catholos Richdunikli Khachadur, priest during the reign of the victorious Ottoman Sultan, great king Abdülhamid Khan II.
I dedicated to my people the constuction of a new Catholic palace and school. But despite my deepest love for you, the intensity of my work did not allow this to happen. The construction of these buildings will spread spiritual light which is a sacred value. The pain of my bereaved people will be diminished by Armenian children who love to learn.
Nave of the Holy Cross Cathedral
The church is entered through a door 2 meters high and 1.36 meters wide. Khachkars decorate the lintel. Once inside, the nave measures 14.8 x 11.5 meters, with the dome standing 20.4 meters above the floor.
On the east side is the apse, where the altar stands. There are niches measuring 1.1 meters wide on either side of the apse.
The rest of the nave is richly decorated from the floor to the dome with frescoes. They depict images of the Apostles and saints as well as several scenes from the Bible. Unfortunately, the majority are in poor condition due to vandalism and nearly a century of neglect.
Portico
The portico is attached to the north side of the church. It measures 7.65 x 2.6 meters and covered by a flat roof. The east side opens to the Chapel of Catholicos Zacharias I. There’s no decoration inside.
Chapel of Catholicos Zacharias I
The Chapel of Catholicos Zacharias I was built separately from the church and later connected via a barrel-vaulted hall measuring 2.5 x 1.15 meters. The door to the chapel is 95 centimeters wide. The chapel itself is 3.15 x 2.8 meters and covered with a barrel vault. A small window is in the middle of the apse. There’s no decoration in the chapel.
Monastic Complex
The courtyard is surrounded by the monastic complex, including monk’s cells, storage, and other functional buildings.
Chapel of St. Stephen
On the courtyard next to the Holy Cross Cathedral is the ruined Chapel of St. Stephen. It was built at the end of the 13th century.
Cemetery on Akdamar Island
The cemetery of the monastery sits behind the church. It’s full of beautifully carved khachkar tombstones, but most have decayed over the centuries.
Observation Deck on Akdamar Island
A trail from the monastic complex leads to the east side of the island where there’s an observation deck with a tall Turkish flag.
From that point, there are spectacular views of the rest of the island as well as the scenery around Lake Van. In the distance to the north, it’s possible to spot the snow-capped peak of Mount Süphan, the second highest volcano in Turkey at 4,058 meters (13,314 feet).
The Rest of Akdamar Island
The west and north side of Akdamar Island is rocky and rugged. A trail from the Holy Cross Cathedral leads down to a small beach on the south side of the island.
A few steps north of the church is a small café and gift shop where you can get reasonably priced souvenirs. Further north is another pier.
Where to Eat Near Akdamar Island
Other than the café on the island itself, there’s one restaurant across the street from the pier.
Akdamar Restaurant
Akdamar Restaurant is pretty much the only choice near Akdamar Pier. They have a decent menu full of Turkish specialties as well as a few local delicacies. It’s clearly geared towards tourists. The service was slow and the food is overpriced, but I guess that’s also down to no competition. Thankfully there was one waiter out of the bunch who was on his game and did his best for us.
While the rest of my group had kebabs, I tried the keledoş. It’s a thick soup made of chickpeas, yogurt, and spices with a few pieces of fatty lamb on top. It’s not bad but I wouldn’t order it again.
