The Glass Hall is a rectangular building with a cut vault. In this hall, various glass works dated between 14th century B.C. and 11th century A.D. are displayed. In the first display window on the right, a Mycenaean glass bead string from the 14th century B.C. and glass nuggets dating to the same period that have been excavated from the shipwreck in Kaş Uluburun can be found. In other display windows glass finds obtained in ancient city excavations like Stratonikeia and Kaunos can be seen. A big part of the hall consists of the glass collection of the Serçe Limanı Shipwreck that is dated to 11th century A.D.

An aquarium has been placed inside one of the niches of this hall to show how underwater archaeological excavations are done. Inside this aquarium a fourth century A.D. early Byzantian Shipwreck Underwater Excavation is shown on a scale of 1/20.

Ağrı and Noah’s Ark. Ağrı province was founded along the transit road to Iran and is at an altitude of 1,640 m. above sea level. The most interesting place in the province, which has a long record of history, is Ağrı Mountain (Mount Ararat), famous for its majestic appearance and the Legend of Noah. Ağrı Mountain which gives the city its name is the highest mountain in Turkey and Europe, with its summit of 5,137 m. According to religious beliefs, Noah’s Ark landed on Ağrı Mountain. In the Great Flood, Noah took one pair of each of the living creatures into his ship and after struggling with the waves and the flood, the ship came to a stop on top of Ağrı Mountain which is mentioned in the Holy Books. When the waters receded, Noah, his family and the animals left the ship and the second human generation was started. Noah’s wife collected the last remnants of grain in the hold of the ship before disembarking and mixed it together, thus making the first dish of “Aşure” (Noah’s Pudding).

İshak Paşa Palace – AĞRI

  Doğubeyazıt is the most important town of Ağrı. İshak Pasha Palace, the most interesting structure in East Anatolia, is here. Facing İshak Pasha Palace is the Doğubeyazıt Citadel, which was first built by the Urartians. The main citadel was built by Şehzade Beyazıt in 1380 and was named after him. There are hieroglyphics, burial chambers and reliefs from the Urartians in the citadel, which was constructed on top of the rocks.

Diyadin Thermal Springs, known as the Pamukkale of East Anatolia, are in Diyadin township of Ağrı Province. The Thermal Springs, which have three water sources, are beneficial for healing various diseases. The thermal spring at the foot of Tendürek Mountain which is at an altitude of 3,542 m., is also an ideal place for photographers.

The Caucasus Gate. Kars is the city referred to as the “Caucasus Gate” of East Anatolia. The city was founded along the eastern banks of the Kars stream, which merges with Arpaçay. The city consists of two parts, Old Kars and New Kars. Old Kars was founded around the Kars Citadel, located on a hill to the north, and its center is the Kaleiçi District. New Kars, which was founded after 1878, extends towards the plain. The vast difference between the new city, which was built according to a systematic plan, where the streets and avenues intersect each other perpendicularly, and the old city with its narrow and irregular streets, can be easily noted. There are also many interesting structures built by the Russians in Kars. The city was occupied by the Russians in 1828, 1855 and 1877 and was under Russian sovereignty for approximately forty years.

The historical Kars Citadel, the symbol of the city, was built by Saltukoğlu İzzeddin Han in 1152. The citadel, which was repeatedly restored, has two sections, the inner citadel and the outer citadel. Only seven of the 220 towers have remained. The Church of the Holy Apostles, which is now a museum, is in the south of the Kars Citadel. The Church was dedicated to the Twelve Apostles in the 10^th century. There are reliefs of the Twelve Apostles along the outside walls of the structure.

Ani is the most important historical city in the environs of Kars. Ani, which was founded as a fortress city, became the capital of the Bagratid Kingdom in the 10^th century. The city walls in the ancient city, Menucehr Mosque, the Seljuk Palace and the Museum-Churches of Nakışlı, Keseli, the Virgin Mary and Abugamrents are all worth seeing.

Sarıkamış, a county of Kars Province, is surrounded by forests and known for its scenic wonders. The monument erected in memory of the Turks who had fallen during the First World War in Sarıkamış  and  the  Hunting  Lodge  built

KARS, famous for its folk dances

for the Russian Czar Nicholas are worth seeing. Sarıkamış is also the winter sports center of the entire region.

The Citadel of East Anatolia. Erzurum is the largest provincial capital in East Anatolia. It was founded at the foot of the Palandöken Mountains at an elevation of 1,950 m. above sea level. Erzurum, which is known as the citadel of East Anatolia, is located on an important trade junction and transit route between Ankara, Trabzon and Teheran. The city is also the cultural center of East Anatolia. The Atatürk University in this city is one of the most prestigious higher education institutions in Turkey.

Erzurum is a real historical treasure, with its centuries-old mosques, forts, towers and large tombs with dome shaped or conical roofs. The Twin Minaret Madrasah, the symbol of the city, dates back to the Seljuk period. The architrave of its portal, with its stone carvings, is among the most beautiful examples  of  Seljuk art.  The  minarets  on  either side of the portal are 26 meters high and decorated with turquoise colored glazed tiles. Üç Kümbetler, a group of three tombs, is one of the monumental structures in Erzurum. The largest of these tombs is the tomb of Emir Saltuk, the founder of the Saltuk State. The tomb is constructed according to an octagonal plan. The most interesting mosques in the city are the Grand Mosque, built in the 12^th century, and Lala Mustafa Pasha Mosque built in the 16^th century. The Rüstem Pasha Caravanserai was built by Rüstem Pasha, the Grand Vizier of Sultan Süleyman the Magnificent. The caravanserai, which displays the characteristics of 16^th century Ottoman architecture, is still in use as a market place. In it are the workshops processing the famous “Oltu” stone (jet).

The Aziziye Monument, which was erected to commemorate the heroism of the people of Erzurum during the Ottoman-Russian War in 1878, is one of the most important monuments in the city. The forts built to defend the city of Erzurum during the war are strategically located on the surrounding hills. The building where the Erzurum Congress was held on July 23, 1919, has been converted into a museum as a reminder of this important gathering.

The Palandöken Ski Center is 5 km. to the south of Erzurum. It is one of the longest and steepest ski runs in the world. The length of the chair lift is 3,237 m. and the difference in altitude between starting and finishing points is 1,000 m. Among the other places of interest in Erzurum are Tortum Lake and Waterfall with its steep cliffs; Çobandede Bridge, which has a length of 220 m. and was built by the Seljuks on the Aras River in the 13^th century; and the Pasinler and Oltu citadels.

Mountains and Vineyards. The people of Erzurum describe their city as “a place surrounded by mountains which has vineyards in the center”, and this indicates the geographical outline of the city. The province is surrounded by mountain ranges both in the south and north. There are fertile lands in the river basins between these mountains. Erzincan Plain, where Erzincan province is located, is covered with vineyards and has been the cradle of many great civilizations since the early ages of history. Karaparmak grapes from the Erzincan vineyards are especially famous. The traditional craft of coppersmithing  is  still  preserved  in Erzincan. The Mamahatun Tomb and Caravanserai, built in the 12^th century, are located in Tercan. These structures have interesting and unique plans. Altıntepe (1000 B.C.), which was an important settlement of the Urartians, the citadel at Kemah, the large Melik Gazi Tomb and Gülali Bey Mosque (12^th century) are among the other historical structures located around the city.

The chapel was built by the knights in 1402-1437 in a gothic style with a single nave. It was renovated by Spanish Knights between 1519-1520. After the castle was captured by the Ottomans the chapel of the knights was added a minaret and turned into a mosque.

In the chapel, an East Roman ship that had sunk in Turgutreis-Yassıada in 7th century A.D. is on display. The ship’s stern is built on a 1/1 scale and the foreship is shown just as it was found underwater. The main freight of the ship is wine carried in about 900 amphoras. The most important artifact found on the ship is a set of bronze scales. The name and title of the ship’s captain is engraved on it. The knob of the scale is in the shape of the Goddess Athena who symbolises reason and justice.

Artvin: Famous for its High Plateaus. Artvin, located along the Caucasian border of Turkey, is known for its scenic wonders and mild climate. The most beautiful high plateaus of Turkey are in this province. When spring comes, the residents of the region start preparations to migrate to the high plateaus for animal husbandry. “The Migration to the High Plateau” is a tradition carried out in a festive mood. Kafkasör, Bilbilan, Meşeli, Meydancık, Çamlık, Yaylalar and Yarlık are the most famous high plateaus in Artvin. The Kafkasör Culture and Art Festival is held every summer on the Kafkasör High Plateau. The Çoruh River, the most important river in the province, is ideal for rafting because it is the most rapidly flowing river in Turkey.

Cilo-Sat mountains - HAKKARİ

Mamahatun Complex, Tercan – ERZİNCAN

According to the 2000 census, the population of the region was 6,137,414. 3,255,896 people live in cities and 2,881,518 in villages. The annual population growth rate is 13.75‰ which is below the nationwide average.