A bright day with Mt.Ararat shining in the distance, when our early morning plane from Istanbul took a long curve over the lake and then landed in Van. With an altitude of almost 1.700 m the lake is situated as high as the lakes near St. Moritz, Switzerland in the Upper Engadin.
The bare mountains around the town are impressive, we went some 20 km east to see the remnants of an Urartian stronghold, witness of one of the oldest cultures in the region, giver of the name Urartu/Ararat.
An old man sold stones with tiny inscriptions in the writing of the Urartians (and later the Hetites, Assyrians and others). Yes, it is “Keilschrift”, he knew the German word for cuneiform, and he was an expert. He had neatly carved the stones himself and claimed that he, Mehmet Kuşman, was among the only 36 people in the world that could fluently read and write this ancient kind of scripture. Some years ago they were still 38, when Mehmet Hoca followed an invitation to California for a gathering of experts. Two Russians had died since and now 36 of the wise and learned men remained.
The stronghold was beautifully placed over a wide fruitful plain behind which higher mountains rose. They were close to Persia from were in the course of history many invaders came to claim their ownership of this rich mountain country near the big lake.
Later, in a visit to the old castle that overlooks the southern part of the town of Van, we were happy to get into a televised Kurdish wedding. It was a real wedding except for bride and
bridegroom who were actors. The colorful gowns of the young people, the horses, guns and horseman of the Kyrgyz riders, the muttons roasted over an open fire, everything was real.
The Kyrgyz faces obviously were part of the feast, and not strange, although for us almost belonging to a Chinese kind of people. The only strangers here were we. Happy strangers in the golden light of a warm setting sun.
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