Cathedral of the Holy Cross, Aghtamar

Akdamar Island (Turkish: Akdamar Adası), also known as Aghtamar (Armenian: Աղթամար, romanized: Aġt’amar) or Akhtamar (Armenian: Ախթամար, romanized: Axt’amar; Kurdish: Girava Axtamarê), is the second largest of the four main islands in Lake Van, in eastern Turkey. About 0.7 km2 in size, it is situated approximately 3 km from the shoreline. At the western end of the island, a hard, grey, limestone cliff rises 80 m above the lake's level (1,912 m above sea level). The island declines to the east to a level site where a spring provides ample water. It is home to the 10th century Armenian Holy Cross Cathedral, which was the seat of the Armenian Apostolic Catholicosate of Aghtamar from 1116 to 1895.

Gevaş (Armenian: Ոստան, romanized: Vostan, lit. '[princely] court'; Kurdish: Westan) is a municipality and district of Van Province, Turkey. Its area is 1,544 km2, and its population is 26,918 (2022). In the last elections of March 2019, Murat Sezer from the Justice and Development Party (AKP) was elected Mayor. As Kaymakam, Hamit Genç was appointed by President Recep Tayyip Erdoĝan in July 2019. The municipality is populated by Kurds.

The Hoşap River or Güzelsu River (Turkish: Engil Çayı) is a river in the Van Province of Turkey. Its catchment area approximately coincides with the Gürpınar District.

Narekavank (Armenian: Նարեկավանք, "Monastery of Narek", Western Armenian: Nareg) was a tenth-century Armenian monastery in the historic province of Vaspurakan, near the southern shores of Lake Van, in present-day Gevaş district in Van Province in eastern Turkey. The monastery was one of the most prominent in medieval Armenia and had a major school. The poet Gregory of Narek (Grigor Narekatsi) notably flourished at the monastery. It was abandoned in 1915 during the Armenian genocide, and reportedly demolished around 1951. A mosque now stands on its location.

Mount Artos (Turkish: Çadır Dağı, lit. 'Tent Mountain', Armenian: Արտոս, romanized: Artos, Kurdish: Çiyayê Artosê) is a mountain (dormant volcano) in Van Province in eastern Turkey. It has a height of 3,550 meters above sea level It is around 38 kilometers from Van and around 10 kilometers from Lake Van.

Dönemeç (Armenian: Անգղ, romanized: Angegh; Kurdish: Engîl) is a neighbourhood of the municipality and district of Edremit, Van Province, Turkey. Its population is 780 (2022). It is located on the right bank of the Hoşap River at a distance of 15 km from the town of Edremit.

Turkish Airlines Flight 278, operated by a Boeing 737-4Y0 registered TC-JES and named Mersin, was a domestic scheduled flight from Ankara Esenboğa Airport to Van Ferit Melen Airport in eastern Turkey that crashed on 29 December 1994 during its final approach to land in driving snow. Five of the seven crew and 52 of the 69 passengers lost their lives, while two crew members and 17 passengers survived with serious injuries.

Edremit (Kurdish: Artemêt; Armenian: Արտամէտ, romanized: Artamet) is a municipality and district of Van Province, Turkey. Its area is 515 km2, and its population is 127,819 (2022). In the 2013 reorganisation, part of the former central district of Van was attached to Edremit District. It covers the southern part of the agglomeration of Van and the adjacent countryside. The district's central town, which has the same name, is situated on the coast of Lake Van at a distance of 18 kilometres (11 mi) from the city of Van.