Places to visit
Things to do in Bitlis
26 destinations, each with a description, how long it takes and where it sits on the map.
In short
toroti’s catalogue holds 26 described destinations within Bitlis. The themes that come up most: Faith heritage, Local culture, History, Coast, Culture, Cultural heritage.
Districts of Bitlis
Şeyh Hasan Camii
According to its inscription, the mosque, located on a slope in the Yükseliş neighborhood in the north-west of the city, was renovated in 1725 by someone named Haydar Ağa. Built of regularly cut blocks with Bitlis’s typical reddish-brown stone, it forms a rectangular mass extending in the east-west direction. It is two-storeyed, and the upper floor is used as a mosque.
20 minutes
Memi Dede Mescidi
The inscription of the masjid, located on the slope at the entrance from the southern side of the city, relates to the tomb section inside it. The inscription states that it was commissioned in H.980 (M.1572) by a person named Ahmet Yunus. It is estimated that the masjid was also built on the same or a nearby date. Half of the ‘L’-planned structure was arranged as a masjid and the other half as a tomb.
45 minutes
Hacı Begiye Mescidi
This structure, also referred to by names such as Hacı Begiye, Gazi Begiye or Behiye, is located in the city center. Formerly, it was a small külliye consisting of structures such as a mescit and a medrese. Today, all that remains is a simple mescit and three inscriptions. According to the inscriptions, both the mescit and the medrese were commissioned in H. 848 (M.1444) by Emir Hacı Mehmed, son of Emir Hacı İbrahim.
45 minutes
Ayn El Barit (Soğuk Pınar) Camii
The mosque, located on a slope on the eastern side of the city, was commissioned by Molla Gazi Abdurrahman in 1664/65 according to its inscription, and according to another inscription it was repaired in 1721. In the center of the mosque, which has a fairly regular square plan, four pointed arches springing from a cruciform pier and spanning between the wall pilasters divide the space into four domed units.
20 minutes
Gazi Bey Mescidi
It is a külliye together with its madrasa and is located in the Gazibey neighborhood, right next to Kazım Paşa Primary School. According to its inscription, it was commissioned in 1836 by a person named Şerif. This building, which for a time was used as the Public and Children's Libraries and the Nutrition Office of the Directorate of National Education, was rearranged in recent years and began to be used as a mosque.
20 minutes
Tatvan Kalesi / Tah-ti Van Kalesi
It was built by Zal Pasha, one of the viziers of Suleiman the Magnificent, in Tatvan’s present-day Tuğ Neighborhood between 1550-1560. After the Iranian Shah Tahmasap invaded the castles of Adilcevaz and Ahlat, he destroyed the castle to prevent aid from going to Van from this castle.
45 minutes
Sultaniye Camii
Located in the south of the city and near Alemdar bridge, the structure occupies the upper floor of the two-storey building, beneath which are the tomb and zaviye of Şeyh Garip. According to the inscription on the door, the mosque dates to 1828, and inside the mosque, on the mihrab, there is another inscription bearing the date 1784.
20 minutes
Kadı Mahmut Camii
It is inside the castle, opposite the İskender Paşa mosque. The inscription above the portal shows that it was built in 1584 by a person named Kadı Mahmut. The mosque, which underwent repair and restoration in 1982-83, has a simple construction, and the Ottoman architectural style predominates.
20 minutes
Emir Bayındır Camii ve Kümbeti
The mosque, located to the north of the Bayındır tomb, was built in 1477 by Bayındır İbni Rüstem, according to its inscription. On a white stone on the side wall of the mosque, the name “Amel Baba Can” can be read, which is understood to belong to the master who built the mosque.
30 minutes
Emir Bayindir Kümbeti
Bayındır Bey Kümbeti, also known among the local people as Parmaklıklı Kümbet because of the eight short columns around it, was commissioned for Bayındır Bey, who died in 1481. Bayındır Bey was the grandson of Akkoyunlu ruler Uzun Hasan and the son of Rüstem Bey. Gülcan Acar In the inscription running all around the upper part of the structure, it is stated that Bayındır Bey died in Ramadan 886 (November 1481), and his titles and life are described.
45 minutes
İskender Paşa Camii / Ahlat
It is located in Old Ahlat Castle. According to its inscription, it was commissioned by İskender Paşa in H.992 (M.1584), probably to Mimar Sinan. The mosque, built during the time of Yavuz Sultan Selim, was expanded during the reign of Kanuni Sultan Süleyman. In terms of its interior and exterior construction, the mosque constitutes a typical example of Ottoman Architecture.
45 minutes
Kadi Mahmut Camii / Ahlat
It is located inside the castle, opposite İskender Paşa Camii. The inscription on the portal shows that it was built in H. 922 (M.1584) by a person named Kadı Mahmut. The mosque, which was repaired and restored by the General Directorate of Foundations in 1982-83, has a simple construction, and the Ottoman architectural style predominates.
45 minutes
Hatuniye Camii
The structure, located in the neighborhood bearing its own name, is rumored to have been built in the 2nd century by Huma Hatun, daughter of Evhadullah Sultan of the Abbasids. As a result of the repairs it underwent many times, the dome and arches were demolished and turned into an earthen roof.
20 minutes
Bitlis Kalesi
It was built by Badlis, one of Alexander the Great’s commanders, from whom the city takes its name. (312 BC). It stands on a steep rock mass at the point where two streams, branches of the Bitlis water, meet. It is a fortified position extending from east to west.
45 minutes
Şerefiye Camii
It is a külliye established to the south of the city center, at the point where the Kışla and Hosor streams meet, and consists of mosque, madrasa, imaret and tomb sections. According to its inscription, it was commissioned by IV. Şeref Han in H.935 (M.1529). Since the facade of the mosque, which has a rectangular plan in the east-west direction, that can be seen from the city is its eastern side, it was intended to give this face a monumental value and it was prepared with special care and decoration.
45 minutes
Ahlat Sahil Kalesi
Returning from the Iran campaign, Kanuni Sultan Süleyman came to Ahlat and, after visiting all his ancestors, ordered Zal Paşa and Mimar Sinan to build a strong castle so that Ahlat might prosper. This castle, built in H.965 on the area by the lakeside to the south of the Ahlat ruins, in the manner personally described by Kanuni, is rectangular in shape, its perimeter is three thousand steps, and its walls are not very high.
45 minutes
Şeh Hasan Camii
According to its inscription, the mosque, located on a slope in the Yükseliş neighborhood in the north-west of the city, was renovated in H.1138 (A.D.1725) by someone named Haydar Ağa. Built of Bitlis’s typical reddish-brown stone from regularly cut blocks, it forms a rectangular mass extending in the east-west direction. It is two-storeyed, and the upper floor is used as a mosque.
45 minutes
Gökmeydan Camii
The mosque, located in the quarter bearing the same name, bears the date 1801 on its inscription; while the minaret inscription gives the date 1924. The mosque, which forms a rectangular block in the south-north direction and stands within a garden, has been treated with greater importance on the qibla side, as it faces the street. Its minaret rises in the form of a separate tower near the south-west corner, and on the north-west side there is an additional structure belonging to the mosque.
45 minutes
Kureyşi Camii
Located in the Kureyşi quarter, which bears its own name, in Zeydan Mahallesi on the western side of the city, the mosque, according to its inscription, was repaired in H.1225 (M.1810) and took its present form. There are clear traces indicating that the mosque was once adorned with rich decorations long ago. However, as a result of repairs, these decorations have disappeared. The central section is divided into four by the column in the middle and the arches connecting the column to the walls, and the top of each section is covered with a barrel vault.
45 minutes
Gazi Bey Mescidi
It is a külliye together with its madrasa, and is right next to Kazım Paşa Primary School in the Gazibey neighborhood. According to its inscription, it was commissioned in 1836 by a person named Şerif. This building, which for a time was used as the Public and Children's Libraries and the Nutrition Office of the Directorate of National Education, was rearranged in recent years and began to be used as a mosque.
45 minutes
Ahlat Selçuklu Meydan Mezarliği Ören Yeri
Ahlat Seljuk Square Cemetery is an open-air museum notable for its historical and cultural significance. As the largest among Turkish-Islamic cemeteries, it houses a wealth of history and artistic works.
120 minutes
Ahlat Müzesi
Ahlat Museum is an important cultural center that carries traces of many civilizations to the present day. It was reopened in 2014 in accordance with modern museology.
120 minutes
Bitlis Etnografya Müzesi
The building, which was used as the Governor’s Mansion in past years, was allocated to our Ministry in 2005 and opened to visitors as the Bitlis Ethnography Museum. It serves as a unit affiliated with the Ahlat Museum Directorate. The museum building, registered as an immovable cultural property that must be protected, was built with Ahlat stone in accordance with the local texture of the region and has a natural appearance. The historic building consists of a semi-basement, ground floor + 1 floor.
45 minutes
Adilcevaz Kalesi
Adilcevaz Castle is a historical structure located on the shores of Lake Van. Built from cut stones, the castle hosts a rich history and numerous buildings.
45 minutes
Ahlat Kalesi
Ahlat Castle is a historical structure built by Suleiman the Magnificent and is an important symbol of Ahlat.
45 minutes
Bitlis Kalesi
Bitlis Castle was built by Badlis, one of Alexander the Great's commanders, in 312 BC. Standing at 56 meters tall, the castle preserves its historical essence while welcoming visitors.
45 minutes