Page 55 - Журнал «Русский Берег» #9-2021

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ENG Lake Van is located in the east of Turkey. Many people
have heard about it, but relatively few people have
МАРТ been here. Experienced traveler and blogger Alexander Rychkov
2021 shares his impressions of trips to the magnificent Van.
Van is a unique lake, it is several million years old. The largest
and deepest in Turkey. The largest soda lake in the world. Due to
its special mineral composition, it has a special turquoise hue.
Here you can find a fish that is not found anywhere
else — pearl mullet. The surrounding area is home to many
birds. Flamingos appear in these parts in April and stay until
November, attracting many photographers from all over the
МИРОВАЯ ЖЕМЧУЖИНА world.
ан — уникальное по многим параметрам озеро, кото- Here ancient kingdoms arose and perished. The most
рому насчитывается несколько миллионов лет. Самое mysterious of them is the state of Urartu. On the eastern shore of
большое и глубокое в Турции. Более того — крупнейшее the lake for a long time was its capital — Tushpa. Contemporaries
Всодовое озеро в мире. Действительно, вода в Ване were left with the ruins of the fortress and the tombs of the rulers
не пресная и даже не солёная, а имеет особый состав. carved in the rocks. Not so long ago, a museum was built next
Благодаря высокому содержанию соды озеро имеет особый to the fortress. Here you can see many artifacts found during
бирюзовый оттенок. Из-за отсутствия в нём обычных озёрных excavations in the Van area, as well as reconstructions of the life
водорослей необыкновенно прозрачное. Вода в нём на ощупь and appearance of the inhabitants of the ancient country.
как будто мыльная. An equally impressive legacy was left by the medieval
Здесь водится рыбка, которая не встречается больше Vaspurakan kingdom with its center of habitation on the island
нигде, — жемчужная кефаль (тур. inci kefali, курд. darex). of Akhtamar. The Church of the Holy Cross, famous for its
Большую часть жизни она проводит в озере, но на нерест под- elaborately carved bas-reliefs on the outside and well-preserved
нимается в реки, так как для развития икры требуется чистая frescoes on the inside, has stood here for more than 1,000 years.
пресная вода. In clear weather, the majestic Suphan-dag volcano is visible
На берегах озера и в его окрестностях обитает множество above the lake, the top of which is covered with snow most of
видов птиц — от вездесущих чаек до грациозных фламин- the year. From certain angles, it looks no less impressive than the
го. Последние появляются в этих краях в апреле и остаются famous mountain FV in the vicinity of Lake Van there is a place
до ноября, привлекая множество фотографов со всего мира. with "alien" landscapes — "Vanadocia". The area received its
Гнездятся фламинго обычно на озере Эрчек, что находится name for the similarity of its landscapes with Cappadocia. There
в 20 километрах от Вана. are no boutique cave hotels or hot air balloons here yet. But you
can enjoy the pristine splendor of nature and silence!
Another interesting location is the snow-white travertines, which
are located to the east of Van, almost at the border with Iran.
These limestone terraces with thermal water are almost the same
as in the popular resort of Pamukkale in western Turkey. There
are almost no tourists here, and even the locals do not come here
often. There are only harsh mountains around.
Van's visiting card is the famous Van cats with eyes of different
colors. This breed is consistently very popular all over the world.
Protecting its wealth, Turkey has banned the export of its Turkish
cat subjects to other countries.
The most bizarre stories and tall tales are told about these cute
furry creatures. Some of them are true. For example, genetic
studies have confirmed that this is one of the oldest breeds of
domestic cats. The breed was officially recognized in 1955. The
fluffy beauty Van Guzeli Iskenderun acted as a reference.
There is an opinion that a real Van cat should certainly be white
and with eyes of different colors. In reality, Van cats can have red
or gray spots on their heads and a fluffy colored tail. Eye color —
from amber-copper to blue.
In the city of Van, a research center is organized, which
operates a cattery of Van cats. Some of the animals from the
nursery live in the homes of local residents, thus taking care of the
heritage of Van.

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