Van Province facts for kids

Van (which is pronounced like "Vahn") is a province in eastern Turkey. It's located between the big Lake Van and the border with Iran. The province is about 19,069 square kilometers big and was home to over 1 million people at the end of 2010. Most people living there are Kurds.

A Look Back at Van's History

A very long time ago, in the 9th century BC, the area around Van was the main part of an ancient kingdom called Urartia. For many centuries after that, a lot of Armenian people lived in this area. After World War I, many Armenians who lived there had to leave the area.

Images for kids

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  Haykaberd or Çavuştepe, an old Urartian fort

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  Hoşap Castle, a historic castle

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  Muradiye Fall, a beautiful waterfall

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  The Armenian Cathedral of the Holy Cross (built in the 10th century) on Akdamar Island

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  The Armenian Monastery of Narek (built in the 10th century)

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  Varagavank Armenian monastery (built in the 11th century)

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  The Armenian Monastery of Saint Bartholomew (built in the 13th century)

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  A ruined Ottoman mosque in the old part of Van city (from the 16th century)

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  The Tomb of Halime Hatun in Gevaş (from the 14th century)

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  A ruined Ottoman minaret in the old part of Van city

Find Out More

You can also read about the Province of Van in Spanish for kids: Provincia de Van para niños