Ishak Paşa Sarayı, East Turkey

The Doğubeyazıt district in the Ağrı Province – one of the easternmost settlements in Eastern Anatolia – is the small town that is the base for visiting the absolute splendour that is Ishak Paşa Sarayı (Ishak Pasha Palace).

The real urge to see Ishak Paşa Sarayı came when we were watching the 2006 Nuri Bilge Ceylan film, İklimler (Climates).

In the film, he takes a taxi in the snow to the palace to take some photos.

If you know of Nuri Bilge Ceylan, you’ll know he’s also a fantastic photographer as well as cinematographer, so you can just imagine this lonely mountain-top palace and the desolate valley below, covered with snow.

It became one of those enduring we’ve-got-to-go-there moments.

Coming Face To Face With Ishak Pasha Palace

And then a visit to friends in the area and a subsequent self-drive road trip around the easternmost provinces of Eastern Anatolia finally gave us the opportunity to soak up this unique experience of visiting Ishak Pasha Palace.

The mystical became the real – and ‘the real’ didn’t disappoint. Far from it.

We were doing an east Turkey road trip; so close to the Iranian border were we that road signs pointed us to Doğubeyazıt – Kars – Iran and we shared the lonely roads with lorries displaying Iranian number plates.

A whole world away from from our Mediterranean life in Fethiye.

Navigation

On reaching Doğubeyazıt, road signs for the palace were not immediately obvious – this area didn’t attract many tourists at the time – but we knew we needed to head uphill so we chose the winding hilly road that lead us out of town.

If you ever find yourself in this area of eastern Turkey, please don’t miss out on Ishak Pasha Palace.

This place is magical scenic bliss.

Ishak Paşa Sarayı Surrounding Area

The photo above is taken from the car park in front of the palace and, as you can see, the road continues to wind uphill amongst rugged mountains.

Three further sites of historic interest lie in this immediate surrounding area – all part of the old settlement.

We knew the views from further up this hill are even more breathtaking than the ones we could see behind us, but on this day, we weren’t allowed to go any further up the hill because a funeral was taking place and there was a sizable Jandarma presence.

But this is the type of scenery that makes you feel small and insignificant and in awe of the world.

These were the scenes we wanted to see for ourselves.

Camera zoom lens had to come into play for photographing the Grand Tomb – the tomb of Ahmed-i Hani.

Born in 1651 in Cizre or Hakkari – the cultural centre of the area at that time – he was a prominent poet, writer, astronomer and philosopher who also studied Arabic.

This was a man well-travelled and who clearly had some standing in this area judging by his tomb.

Interestingly, considering he was such a prominent figure, his date of death is uncertain.

And on the opposite side of the road, almost camouflaged against the steep rock face stands the old Doğubeyazıt mosque and the ruins of the Doğubeyazıt Castle.

Due to sheer distance from any settlements, these days, the mosque no longer serves anyone.

And whilst it is unclear when the castle was built, an embossed grave reveals Urartu work – a kingdom which existed in the Iron Age from the 9th to the 6th Century BC.

As is evident from the castle walls, the Urartians were well known for their large fortresses and also their sophisticated metal work.

Exploring Ishak Pasha Palace

We’d seen so many photos of this lonely palace resting oın the side of a mountain, overlooking the plains and the town of Doğubeyazit below…and the majesty and shadow of Mount Ararat (Ağrı Dağı) looming in the distance.

Just amazing!

But now time to head through the imposing main gate get up close and personal with the historic stone walls of the palace.

We’re on the Silk Road, here, 2000 metres above sea level. Were it not for the car park, we could feel ourselves back in the 18th Century when the palace was completed.

Inside the walls, the palace feels other-worldly.

Whilst the buildings of the first courtyard – where it is thought guests stayed with their camels – are largely destroyed, there’s lots to lose yourself with in the second courtyard of the palace.

There was just a smattering of visitors on the day we were there so it was perfectly easy to lose yourself in the architecture and the geometric motifs of the stonework.

You can’t miss the octagonal Seljuk mausoleum in this second courtyard.

This is the mausoleum of Çolak Abdi Paşa of the Çıldıroğulları and his kin. He started to build Ishak Pasha Palace in 1685 but it would be 1784 before Ishak Paşa II, a descendant of Çolak Abdi Pasha, would complete it.

That ‘other-worldliness’ is lost a little with the crisp white-painted meeting hall and glass roof – but when it comes to restoration, these are the types of things that are always going to divide opinion.

We love the modern glass bridge that goes through Hadrian’s Gate in Antalya so why did I have a problem with the glass roof, here?

Well, probably because all the images we’ve seen of Ishak Paşa Sarayı over the years are from the pre-glass roof era. I wanted those photos.

Yes, everyone; selfish reasons. Apparently, the glass roof will protect the palace from the elements, thus preserving its existence.

We’re all pretty mesmerised by this place…and eventually, we’re all wandering around separately in our own little worlds.

I spot a room which looks like it might have amazing views of the plains below. Well, yes it does, as you can see in the photo above.

Mount Ararat wrapped in cloud in the distance, Doğubeyazıt down below, spring flowers creeping over the near mountainside…and a sheer drop!

This room I am exploring exits straight from this ledge and a dizzying drop, hundreds of metres below. Maybe no one thought to put a barrier here, yet…

Safety ponders aside, this is my favourite memory of Ishak Paşa Sarayı.

This was the scenery we came up here to see.

Eventually, hunger beats us and we head off back down the hill into town and another unexpected treat – we stumble across a lokanta that recommends we try the local speciality, Doğubeyazıt Köftesi.

Ishak Paşa Sarayı, East Turkey – Useful Info

• Entrance to the palace is free to holders of a Müze Kart. If you don’t have one, the entrance fee (February 2024) is 70 TL. You can check the latest price for entry on the Turkish Museums website.
• If you aren’t driving, there is a dolmuş that comes up here from Doğubeyazıt. Taxis will also run you up here and wait for you for an arranged fee
• The palace was completed in 1784 by Ishak Paşa – and architecture and art history enthusiasts will find a mixture of Mesopotamian, Anatolian and Persian styles

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