Akdamar Island

Akdamar Island
	Akdamar Island seen from the south shore of Lake Van, near the town of Gevaş
	Akdamar Island
Geography
Location	Lake Van
Coordinates	38°20′30″N 43°02′07″E / 38.341667°N 43.035278°E
Total islands	1
Area	0.7 km2 (0.27 sq mi)
Length	0.7 km (0.43 mi)
Width	0.6 km (0.37 mi)
Coastline	2 km (1.2 mi)
Highest elevation	1,912 m (6273 ft)
Administration
	Turkey
Province	Van
District	Gevaş

Akdamar Island (Turkish: Akdamar Adası), also known as Aghtamar^[1]^[2] (Armenian: Աղթամար, romanized: Aġt’amar)^[3] or Akhtamar^[4]^[5] (Armenian: Ախթամար, romanized: Axt’amar, Kurdish: Girava Axtamarê),^[6]^[7] is the second largest of the four main islands in Lake Van, in eastern Turkey. About 0.7 km² in size, it is situated approximately 3 km from the shoreline. At the western end of the island, a hard, grey, limestone cliff rises 80 m above the lake's level (1,912 m above sea level). The island declines to the east to a level site where a spring provides ample water.

It is home to the 10th century Armenian Holy Cross Cathedral, which was the seat of the Armenian Apostolic Catholicosate of Aghtamar from 1116 to 1895.

^ de Waal, Thomas (2015). Great Catastrophe: Armenians and Turks in the Shadow of Genocide. Oxford University Press. p. 7. ISBN 978-0-19-935069-8. The island of Aghtamar on the inland sea of Lake Van is home to one of the most famous of all Armenian churches, a tenth-century cathedral...
^ Adalian, Rouben Paul (2010). Historical Dictionary of Armenia. Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Press. p. 74. ISBN 978-0-8108-7450-3. AGHTAMAR. Island in Lake Van and location of one of the most important architectural monuments of medieval Armenia.
^ Avetisyan, Kamsar [in Armenian] (1979). "Աղթամար". Հայրենագիտական Էտյուդներ [Notes on Armenian Studies] (in Armenian). Yerevan: Sovetakan grogh. p. 196.
^ "Apricot and almond trees blossomed on Akhtamar Island of Lake Van". Armenpress. 12 April 2013.
^ Knight, Charles, ed. (1866). "Lake Van". Geography: Or, First Division of "The English Encyclopædia". London: Bradbury, Evans & Co. p. 519. There are some small islands in the lake, the principal of which is Akhtamar...
^ Վերանորոգումից հետո Վանի Ախթամար եկեղեցու բացումը տեղի կունենա սեպտեմբերին (in Armenian). Armenpress. 17 July 2006.
^ Tumanyan, Hovhannes (1891). "Ախթամար [Akhtamar]". toumanian.am (in Armenian). Hovhannes Tumanyan Museum. Archived from the original on 2016-10-11. Retrieved 2016-08-19.

[1] Waal, Thomas (2015). Great Catastrophe: Armenians and Turks in the Shadow of Genocide. Oxford University Press. p. 7. ISBN 978-0-19-935069-8. The island of Aghtamar on the inland sea of Lake Van is home to one of the most famous of all Armenian churches, a tenth-century cathedral...

[2] Adalian, Rouben Paul (2010). Historical Dictionary of Armenia. Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Press. p. 74. ISBN 978-0-8108-7450-3. AGHTAMAR. Island in Lake Van and location of one of the most important architectural monuments of medieval Armenia.

[3] Avetisyan, Kamsar [in Armenian] (1979). "Աղթամար". Հայրենագիտական Էտյուդներ [Notes on Armenian Studies] (in Armenian). Yerevan: Sovetakan grogh. p. 196.

[4] "Apricot and almond trees blossomed on Akhtamar Island of Lake Van". Armenpress. 12 April 2013.

[5] Knight, Charles, ed. (1866). "Lake Van". Geography: Or, First Division of "The English Encyclopædia". London: Bradbury, Evans & Co. p. 519. There are some small islands in the lake, the principal of which is Akhtamar...

[6] Վերանորոգումից հետո Վանի Ախթամար եկեղեցու բացումը տեղի կունենա սեպտեմբերին (in Armenian). Armenpress. 17 July 2006.

[7] Tumanyan, Hovhannes (1891). "Ախթամար [Akhtamar]". toumanian.am (in Armenian). Hovhannes Tumanyan Museum. Archived from the original on 2016-10-11. Retrieved 2016-08-19.

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