AKHTAMAR ATTRACTS 1,000 VISITORS IN 15 DAYS
Today’s Zaman, Turkey
April 17 2007
The Armenian church on Akdamar Island on Lake Van has received 1,000
visitors in the 15 days since it reopened as a museum.
Culture and Tourism Ministry Van Provincial Director Ýzzet Kutukoðlu
said that the visitor numbers were part of a trend of growing interest
in the region. Average tourist levels in Van had previously been
5,000 to 6,000 annually, but in recent years the figure has jumped
to 20,000, Kutukoðlu said, adding that they expect tourist rates to
double this year.
Kutukoðlu also described Van as a tourist center, noting that there are
many historical, cultural and natural assets in the region, aside from
the Akhtamar Museum. "Hopefully this year will be tourism’s year,"
he said. The museum opened on March 29 with a ceremony attended by
Culture and Tourism Minister Atilla Koc and the ambassadors of 44
countries. The church had been closed for two years for restoration
and environmental restructuring.
–Boundary_(ID_VicHT9DhKGQf458FC9d hZQ)–