In hues of dusty brown, desert yellow and oasis green, Van emerges from the lands of eastern Turkey to proudly tout its formidable wealth of historic architecture and cultural sites, not to mention a breath-taking backcountry of sturdy olive groves cascading down weathered mountain ridges on the plateaus of the wild Armenian Highlands.

Every Van tour guide is quick to point out the looming acropolis of the Van Fortress; an ancient relic of the old Urartu Kingdoms that bears inscriptions by Xerxes the Great and evidence of Roman, Ottoman and Persian habitation besides. Then, the highlight is the shores of the city’s eponymous lake, to explore the serene reaches of Akdamar Island, the crumbling remnants of Hosap Castle, or the archaeological digs at Cavustepe.

Back in the town, and it’s worth staking out the wealth of earthy eateries and drinkeries that clusters around the bustling boulevard of Cumhuriyet Caddesi, where aromatic kebabs with a Kurdish twist rub shoulders with the sprawling smorgasbord that is the traditional Van breakfast, and stylish Turks move between the teahouses and the dive bars on Maras Street.