Discovering Ağrı: My Hometown

Hey friends,

It’s been a while since my last blog post! I’ve been quite busy with university projects and traveling while completing my Erasmus studies. But now I’m back — and in this blog, I want to take you on a journey to my hometown: Ağrı, or as it’s called in Kurdish, Karekse (known as Ararat in Armenian).

Ağrı is an underrated city in Eastern Turkey that many people don’t know much about. I hope this blog helps you learn something new and encourages you to explore this beautiful region.

📍General Information

Ağrı has an estimated population of around 500,000, although this number has been decreasing every year — even though it has one of the highest birth rates in Turkey. You might wonder why the population is dropping. The answer lies in limited job opportunities and a lack of industrial development. Sadly, many locals are forced to leave the city in search of better livelihoods.

The province consists of seven districts: Doğubayazıt, Patnos, Diyadin, Eleşkirt (my district!), Tutak, Taşlıçay, and Hamur. A large part of the population still lives in villages, and farming remains one of the most common occupations. Ağrı is one of the coldest cities in Turkiye with 5 - 6 months of winter.

Young people from Ağrı often dream of moving to bigger cities in western Turkey or even emigrating to Europe, especially to countries like Germany and France. Working abroad is seen as a path to a better future.

As you walk through the streets of Ağrı, you’ll hear both beautiful languages of Kurdish and Turkish, as most people are bilingual and use Kurdish in their daily conversations.

🏰 Historical and Touristic Highlights

Besides its unique culture and everyday life, Ağrı is home to some stunning touristic sites. One of the most remarkable is:

İshak Pasha Palace: Built in the 17th–18th century in Doğubayazıt, this majestic palace once served as a regional administrative center during the Ottoman Empire. It suffered damage during the Russian invasion in the 19th century, and many treasures were either destroyed or stolen. Despite this, the palace still stands and is a major tourist attraction — although sadly underpromoted by local and national authorities.

İshak Pasha Palace

Diyadin Hot Springs (Kaplıcaları): A natural thermal spring in the Diyadin district. It’s one of my favorite places to relax and enjoy nature.

Ağrı Meydan Bazaar ( One of my favorite places :) : This regional animal market is known for trading cows, sheep, and more. Locals describe it as a place where "a true trader who actively trade there can do anything on Earth!" It’s lively, chaotic, and very real — definitely worth a visit.

Mount Ararat (Ağrı Dağı): The highest mountain in Turkey at 5,137 meters. Interestingly, while it can be seen from Iğdır, Yerevan (Armenia), and western Iran, you can’t see it from Ağrı’s city center — surprising, right?

Ağrı Mountain

There are many more things to explore in Ağrı, but I’ll stop here for now. I hope this small overview gives you a better picture of my hometown. If you ever visit Eastern Turkey, don’t forget to include Ağrı in your plans! You will definitely enjoy :)