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Cultural history The lake was the centre of Urartian kingdom from about 1000 BC and the capital of Urartu, Tushpa, was on the shore of Lake Van (on the site of the medieval castle of Van, west of Van city). Later the land around lake was ruled by Armenians. Along with Lake Sevan in today's Armenia and Lake Urmia in today's Iran, Van was one of the three great lakes of the Armenian Kingdom, referred to as the seas of Armenia. Along its shores and on several islands (Arter, Lim, Charpanak, etc.) in the lake, the remains of Armenian churches and monasteries can be found. The best preserved is the tenth-century Church of the Holy Cross located on Akdamar Island. The Church of the Holy Cross (Armenian Սուրբխաչ, Surb Chatsch, scientific transliteration Surb xač') on Akdamar is a famous example of Armenian art, and is the remains of a monastery built by Gagik Artzruni, king of Armenia, between 915 and 921. Reliefs on the external walls represent Bible stories such as Adam and Eve, Jonah and the whale, and David and Goliath.• Other important historical sights include Van Kalesi (castle) on the Lake's eastern shore. The modern city of Van is located to the east of this castle. Lake Van is also the origin of the popular Turkish Van breed of cat, noted for among other things its unusual fascination with water (a very rare trait among cats, who generally dislike being immersed in water). Since about 1995 there have been reported sightings of a 'Lake Van monster' about 15 metres in length named Van Canavarı. Unal Kozak, a teaching assistant at Van University, has interviewed about a thousand people who claim to have seen the monster, and has written a book on the subject. Sceptics point out that the region would benefit from tourist revenue and a hoax might attract visitors.• Railways The railway connecting Turkey and Iran built in the 1970s uses a train ferry across Lake Van between the cities Tatvan and Van, rather than building railway tracks around the rugged shore line. Transfer from train to ship and back again limits the total carrying capacity. See also | ||||||||||
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