SPECIAL PLACES
NEMRUT DAG
Mount Nemrut has to rank as one of the premier destinations in all of Anatolia. Created by Antiochus I Epiphanes who reined between 64--38 BCE, the monument consists of two plazas with monumental statues between which rises a 100 meter man made tumulus in which he and his wife are buried. The feeling of the ruin is Egyptian and the theme of the place clearly demonstrate Antiochus’ inflated opinion of his standing in the world, as he puts himself in the company of such Gods as Zeus and Apollo. The ruin is a testament to vanity and beauty as, no matter how much people may marvel at the king’s ego, they cannot help but be impressed with its manifestation on Mount Nemrut.
Mount Nemrut has to rank as one of the premier destinations in all of Anatolia. Created by Antiochus I Epiphanes who reined between 64--38 BCE, the monument consists of two plazas with monumental statues between which rises a 100 meter man made tumulus in which he and his wife are buried. The feeling of the ruin is Egyptian and the theme of the place clearly demonstrate Antiochus’ inflated opinion of his standing in the world, as he puts himself in the company of such Gods as Zeus and Apollo. The ruin is a testament to vanity and beauty as, no matter how much people may marvel at the king’s ego, they cannot help but be impressed with its manifestation on Mount Nemrut.
AKDAMAR ISLAND
Sitting on Akdamar Island, a small island three kilometers from the shores of Lake Van, is an enchanting Armenian ruin. Built in 921 CE by Gagik Artzruni, a king of Armenia, the monastery was used as a retreat by Armenian Christians until the early years of the last Century. All that remains of the complex now is the church with its exquisite rock carvings of many tales from the bible. These carvings which grace the exterior of the church are easily approachable, and viewers who know their bible will easily see Adam and Eve, Jonah and the Whale, Daniel in the Lions Den and Abraham about to sacrifice Isaac. The setting is still idyllic--a special tranquil experience on an island on Lake Van.THE ATATURK DAM 
Straddling the Euphrates River, This dam is the largest hydroelectric project in Turkey. The dam, which has become an important symbol of the dynamism of the republic, is the keystone project in Turkey’s New Deal--the GAP project. This project is designed to transform the arid and impoverished south eastern region of Turkey. Visitors to this part of Turkey will now notice that thousands of acres of the once arid desert are now being irrigated. This project entails many other dams and other infrastructure investments designed to transform this part of Turkey
