WARNING: A powerful earthquake struck near Van in October 2011. Most of the damage occurred to poorly constructed apartment buildings and mud-brick buildings. Check on current conditions before travel to the city in the coming year. |
Van (pronounced vahn, like the English word one) is in Eastern Anatolia, Turkey. It is located on the eastern shore of Lake Van (Van Gölü), a salt lake which is locally known as Van Denizi (“the sea of Van”). Lake Van is the largest lake in Turkey.