Doğubeyazıt and Mt. Ararat Guide

The scrappy frontier town of Dogubeyazit (doh-oo-bay-yah-zuht) is an excellent base from which to have views of Turkey's highest and most favorite mountain, the majestic Mt. Ararat (Agri Dagi). Not far from the Iranian border, the place seems forgotten, if not entirely forgotten, with dirty streets and crumbling buildings. But the speed here is laid-back, and the locals are warm. You'll share the town with sheep and travelers bringing in smuggling cigarettes and other low-cost goods from Iran. There aren't many carpets and kilim shops here opposed to tourist spots in western Turkey, so you can wander the main street, Çarsı Caddesi, without being bothered too much. A day is probably enough time to spend here, catching an early visit to the sites around Mt. Ararat and then the İshak Pasa Saray at sunset.