Van (Wan): Kurdish City of Lake Van and Ancient Tushpa
- Sherko Sabir
- Jun 5
- 5 min read
Introduction
Van (Kurdish: Wan) is a city on the eastern shore of Lake Van, the capital of Van Province in the far east of Turkey — the region Kurds call Bakur. Today it is a Kurdish-majority city and one of the main cultural centres of the Kurds in Turkey, with a sizeable Turkish minority.
Few cities in the region carry as much layered history. Van began nearly three thousand years ago as Tushpa, capital of the kingdom of Urartu; it later became a heartland of Armenian civilisation; and in 1915 it was the scene of some of the most traumatic events of the Armenian Genocide. This profile traces that long arc and the Kurdish city that stands there today.
Key Takeaways
• Van (Kurdish: Wan) sits on the eastern shore of Lake Van in eastern Turkey and is the capital of Van Province.
• It is today a Kurdish-majority city and a major cultural centre for Kurds in Turkey, with a Turkish minority.
• The city began as Tushpa, capital of the Urartian kingdom, from around the 9th century BC; the name “Van” derives from the Urartian Biaina.
• Van was a centre of Armenian life for centuries; its Armenian population was destroyed in the 1915 Armenian Genocide, after which the modern city was rebuilt east of the old citadel.
• Van is famous for Van Castle, the Akdamar Armenian church on Lake Van, the white Van cat, and its celebrated breakfast.
Quick Facts
Name (Kurdish): Wan
Ancient Name: Tushpa (Urartian capital)
Country / Region: Turkey (Bakur / Northern Kurdistan)
Province: Van
Location: Eastern shore of Lake Van
Elevation: approximately 1,726 m
Population: around 525,000–530,000 (urban)
Predominant Community: Kurdish; sizeable Turkish minority
Known For: Van Castle, Lake Van, the Van cat, Akdamar church
Founded: c. 9th century BC as Tushpa, by the Urartians
Contents
Where Is Van?
Van lies on the eastern shore of Lake Van, the largest lake in Turkey, at an elevation of around 1,726 metres in a highland of rugged mountains. The lake tempers the climate, making the seasons milder than the wider region. On the opposite, western shore sits its sister port town of Tatvan, connected to Van by the long-running train ferry across the water.
The old city grew up beneath Van Castle, a steep limestone ridge a few kilometres west of the modern centre. With water, fertile plains, and a natural defensive height, the site has drawn settlement for three thousand years.
A Kurdish-Majority City
Today Van is predominantly Kurdish and serves as one of the principal cultural and political centres of the Kurds in eastern Turkey, alongside a sizeable Turkish minority. Like other Kurdish-majority cities, its municipal politics have been dominated by the pro-Kurdish movement, and the city has repeatedly been at the centre of disputes between locally elected mayors and centrally appointed administrators — most visibly after the 2024 local elections, when the result in Van triggered major protests.
Tushpa and the Kingdom of Urartu
Van’s story begins as Tushpa, founded around the 9th century BC as the capital of Urartu — a powerful kingdom centred on the highlands around Lake Van that, at its height, rivalled Assyria. The great fortress of Van Castle was built on a limestone bluff above the lake, and Urartian cuneiform inscriptions from the 8th and 7th centuries BC survive there. The modern name “Van” comes from the Urartians’ own word for their land, Biaina.
After Urartu fell, the region passed through Median, Achaemenid Persian, and Hellenistic hands, and the name endured across all of them — a rare thread of continuity over nearly three millennia.
Armenian Van and 1915
For much of its later history Van was a centre of Armenian civilisation, as part of the kingdom of Vaspurakan and then under successive empires. Its most beautiful surviving monument is the tenth-century Armenian Cathedral of the Holy Cross on Akdamar (Aghtamar) Island in Lake Van, one of the masterpieces of medieval Armenian architecture.
Until the early twentieth century Van was densely populated by Armenians. During the First World War it became a battleground between Ottoman and Russian forces, and in 1915 its Armenian population was destroyed in the Armenian Genocide — deported and massacred as the city changed hands. The role of some local Kurdish irregulars in these events has been acknowledged; it is also documented that other Kurds in Van helped Armenians escape. After the war the ruined old city near the citadel was abandoned, and modern Van was rebuilt a few kilometres to the east.
Van Today
Modern Van is a lively regional hub known for its distinctive culture: the white, often odd-eyed Van cat, prized for its habit of swimming; a tradition of silversmithing; and above all the famous Van breakfast (Van kahvaltısı), a vast spread that has become a destination in itself. The city is home to Van Yüzüncü Yıl University and draws visitors to Lake Van, Akdamar, and the surrounding fortresses.
On 23 October 2011 a magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck Van, followed by a second quake on 9 November, together causing heavy damage and hundreds of deaths. The city has since rebuilt, and remains a centre of Kurdish cultural and political life in the east.
Timeline
c. 9th c. BC — Tushpa founded as the capital of Urartu; Van Castle built above the lake.
6th c. BC onward — Urartu falls; the region passes to Median, Persian, and later powers.
10th c. AD — Armenian Cathedral of the Holy Cross built on Akdamar Island.
1915 — Van’s Armenian population is destroyed in the Armenian Genocide during WWI.
after 1918 — The ruined old city is abandoned; modern Van is rebuilt to the east.
23 Oct & 9 Nov 2011 — Two major earthquakes cause heavy damage and loss of life in Van.
2024 — Disputed local election result in Van sparks large protests.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Van a Kurdish city?
Yes. Van is today a Kurdish-majority city and a major cultural centre for Kurds in eastern Turkey, with a sizeable Turkish minority.
What is Van’s Kurdish name?
In Kurdish the city is called Wan. In antiquity it was known as Tushpa.
What was Tushpa?
Tushpa was the capital of the kingdom of Urartu, founded around the 9th century BC on the site of modern Van; the name “Van” derives from the Urartian Biaina.
What happened to Van’s Armenians?
Van was a major Armenian centre until 1915, when its Armenian population was deported and massacred during the Armenian Genocide. The medieval Akdamar church on Lake Van survives from that era.
What is the Van cat?
The Van cat is a distinctive white breed associated with the region, often with odd-coloured eyes and known for its willingness to swim.
Related People, Places, and Topics
Lake Van · Tatvan · Urartu / Tushpa · Akdamar (Aghtamar) · Bitlis · the Armenian Genocide · Bakur (Northern Kurdistan).
References and Further Reading
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