“The High Plain” Population: 72,750
Other name: Gever (Kurdish)
It’s not easy to say much that’s positive about the town of Yüksekova in Turkey’s far southeastern corner. As so often in this part of the world it’s the getting here that’s the fun rather than the actual arrival.
The town itself is the usual drab collection of concrete buildings, not all of them completed, although there is an attempt to cheer things up with a tree-lined promenade down the centre of the main street. The large Merkez İhsaniye Cami, completed in 2013, is a relatively attractive modern mosque with fine calligraphic inscriptions carved along its facade.
As for the actual “high plain”, this is really the plateau that you reach when you come over the mountains from Hakkari. Stretching for some considerable distance, it is covered in wildflowers in spring. It’s to be hoped that the coming of a new airport will not do anything to damage this vista.
Eating and drinking
Sadly, a political strike had closed it when I was visiting but I’m reliably informed that the Loca Cafe and Bistro near the Hotel Zafer is a very pleasant place to while away an hour or so over a coffee.
Sleeping
Although I have not stayed at either of these hotels both receive good reports.
Hotel Esen. Tel: 0438-351 1919
Hotel Zafer. Tel: 0438-351 5161
Transport info
Hakkari-Yüksekova Selahaddin Eyyübi Airport (YKO) opened in Yüksekova in 2015.
Minibuses connect Hakkari and Yüksekova every hour continuing on to Şemdinli.
The Iranian border is at Esendere, east of Yüksekova. Minbuses run to the border on the Turkish side although you’ll need a taxi from Sero on the Iranian side to Urmia (Orumiyeh).
