Şamran Kanalı
An ancient canal structure from the Urartian period, still preserved today.
View on map5 places to visit in the Edremit district of Van: Şamran Kanalı, Edremit Coast and Akdamar Island. Plan your trip to Edremit with local food, practical tips and transport information.
Edremit is one of the central districts of Van province. It covers 515 km², stands at an altitude of 1,733 m and has a population of 132,309. Founded on the shore of Lake Van, the district was a subdistrict centre until the late 1970s, when the subdistricts were abolished and it became a district. The origin of the name Edremit is unknown, and its roots go back to very early periods.
History
After the founding of the Republic, Edremit’s population rose from 18,000 to 114,000 with the TOKİ housing built in 2005 and 2012. The Şamran Canal, which runs through the middle of Edremit to Van, is an Urartian structure and the district’s most important historical remains. Three of the canal’s foundation inscriptions are found in gardens in the district. At Kadembastı there are the canal’s retaining walls and two inscriptions.
Historical areas
In an area that was built as a vineyard there are caves called Devdamı. To the south of the rock block called Kızkalesi there is a small chapel. About 400 metres as the crow flies east of the chapel, the large Armenian cemetery was destroyed by the TOKİ buildings constructed in 2005.
Natural disasters
The epicentre of the magnitude 5.6 Mw earthquake of 9 November 2011 was in this district.
History and Culture
Edremit was a subdistrict centre until the late 1970s, after which it was turned into a district. Three of the Şamran Canal’s foundation inscriptions are found in gardens in the district. The epicentre of the 2011 Van earthquake was in this district. Urartians, Assyrians, Medes, Persians, Byzantines, Seljuks and Ottomans all lived in the district.
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