Van (Turkey)

Vanis a large Kurdish city situated in eastern Turkey. I found that there was a split between the east and the west of the country, both in terms of landscape and at a cultural level. The east is a lot more arid and conservative, which is particularly the case in the city of Van. We had marked two attractions to see in this city: Lake Van, the biggest (saline) lake in Turkey; and the Fortress of Van, which is very close to the lake. But what really struck us was the prevailing atmosphere there. When we walked through the streets, we were alone—truly alone. I saw the locals watching us through the window panes of their houses; we were easily recognisable with our backpacks. They were distrustful, but in the end, when we began to speak to a person that we came across, she seemed very friendly and pleasant.

In fact, the city experienced an earthquake a few years ago and many houses were cracked or even destroyed. The people had to be rehoused elsewhere. Many tents belonging to Non-Governmental Organisations are set up in the city to help the inhabitants.