An Assessment os UNESCO World Heritage Nomination Potential Of The Monasteries Around Van Lake

The eastern region of Turkey was a prominent settlement for Armenian culture throughout the Middle Ages. Van Lake and its surroundings, an important settlement for Armenians, became the capital of the Kingdom of Vaspurakan in the 9th–10th centuries. There are many monasteries that are examples of religious heritage, built during this period. These structures are significant examples of Christian architectural heritage and represent early Byzantine religious architecture.

By the early 20th century, these monasteries became unfunctional due to the lack of users. Mostly situated in rural and hard-to-reach areas, the monasteries remained vulnerable to external influences as they could not find new functions. Monasteries located within settlements are now used as barns or storage spaces. Unfortunately, no conservation or restoration efforts have been undertaken for these buildings. It is crucial to protect and make visible this group of structures, which are significant representatives of Byzantine-era religious architecture in the East.

The historic monasteries possess a high level of artistic and cultural significance. Today, these buildings testify to vital cultural exchanges with other regional cultures, particularly the Byzantine and Armenian cultures. According to UNESCO’s Operational Guidelines for the Implementation of the World Heritage Convention, two or more components with clearly defined cultural, social, or functional links may be considered a serial heritage if they collectively demonstrate outstanding universal value. In this context, seven monasteries located on the shores of Lake Van or on islands within the lake have been selected to highlight their cultural heritage values. The aim is to assess the potential of these monasteries, which share common conservation values, for a World Heritage serial nomination.