‘The Ferocious Ones” Population: 600ish
If you have diverted from the main Van to Hakkari road to visit the ruined church at Albayrak you might want to keep on going through the village and out the other side in search of the (unsigned) village of Yavuzlar, an extraordinary place where rock formations almost as impressive as those of Cappadocia form the backdrop for a tiny village.
On one side of the road a stream wends its way past shady poplars while on the other simple houses, some of mud-brick, others of concrete, peep out from behind piles of tezek, the dried-dung patties that are used as fuel for stoves during winter in these parts.
Behind the village rises up a rocky plateau with craggy peribacalar (fairy chimneys) running beneath it. A dry river bed provides a path (to be used with caution, of course). In spring the surrounding fields are awash with wildflowers, in particular with the blush-pink of yonca (clover), grown to feed the animals.
Transport info
There is no public transport to get you here. You’ll need to negotiate with a taxi driver, preferably in Başkale, the nearest town.
With your own car you con combine a visit here with stops at Çavuştepe, Hoşap and Albayrak.
