A Unique Journey with the Touristic Tatvan Train
Offering travel enthusiasts the opportunity to discover unique natural beauties and historical sites along the route between Ankara and Tatvan Tourist Tatvan Train, also enabled university students to get to know Anatolia closely. Conventional trains, which were used only for transportation for many years, started to serve as tourist trains, and after the Touristic East and Touristic Diyarbakır expresses, the Touristic Tatvan Train also became an attractive option for local and foreign tourists.
The second trip of the tourism train was sent off with a ceremony held in Ankara on August 6. Anatolian Publishers FederationIn the tour organized by to promote the train, the journey between Ankara and Tatvan was captured.
The 1262-kilometer route from Ankara to Tatvan takes approximately 28 hours to complete. The train passes through Kırıkkale, Kırşehir, Kayseri, Sivas and Malatya, and takes a 4-hour break in Elazığ. It then reaches Tatvan via Bingöl, Muş and Bitlis. During this journey, it is possible to enjoy nature and cultural heritage.
The second journey of the train also included university students. More than 130 students, mostly from Istanbul University, on the 160-passenger train enjoyed exploring the Central Anatolia, Eastern and Southeastern Anatolia regions, which are intertwined with nature. The young people, who had fun with music on the train, preferred to read books and play games in front of the scenery. During the break in Elazığ, the students visited historical sites and museums and visited the largest crater lake in Turkey, Tatvan. Nemrut Crater Lake, Islahiye MadrasahAnd Ahlat Seljuk CemeteryThey also had the opportunity to see historical places such as these up close.
Sleeping cars with refrigerators and sinks allow 2 people to travel comfortably. Dining cars offer delicious meals accompanied by magnificent views.
Students’ Experiences
Arzu Eyyubova, one of the students who participated in the journey, shared his experiences as follows: “My train journey was wonderful. This journey with my friends was very enjoyable. It was always my dream to see Anatolia and this dream came true with the Touristic Tatvan Train. We visited Elazığ, where we had the opportunity to visit many historical places such as the Press Museum and the Hamam Museum. The guide was constantly providing information, which made us very informed.”
Eyyübova, who stated that they were welcomed very warmly in Tatvan, said, “We woke up early in the morning and started our trip. We saw wonderful views in Nemrut. I hadn’t imagined coming this far. I thought we would look from “above, take a few photos and move on, but it was very nice to visit here, touch the water, chat and take photos. This was my first experience, but living in a university environment was very different.”
Sila SerifogluExpressing that the journey was enjoyable, Şerifoğlu said, “I live in Istanbul and it is very difficult for me to come here. That is why this journey was very special for me.” Emphasizing that the view was wonderful, Şerifoğlu said, “Sleeping on the train scared me at first, but then I got used to it and it was very nice. The eastern provinces were the places I wanted to see. The places where my grandfather first “We were taught Ahlat and Bitlis, so I am very happy about this trip.”
Idil Mine Ercumen, stated that it was his first time traveling by train and said, “It was always my dream to see Anatolia up close. We visited many historical structures in Elazığ. That was also very nice.” Recommending everyone to join touristic trains, Ercümen added, “You have the opportunity to make new friends. We can socialize more easily in the restaurant section.” Ercümen emphasized that the comfort of the sleeping cars was far above his expectations.
Istanbul University Vice Rector Prof. Dr. Gülsüm AkThe students stated that their journey was very comfortable and said, “Traveling by train is a very appealing experience. I hope our students also enjoyed this journey.” Ak emphasized that students will get to know this geography better by taking the train and said, “Traveling is very valuable. They will find the answer to the question of ‘reading a lot or traveling a lot’ with such trips. They may have acquired Knowledge from what they read, but they will learn and socialize better by seeing these places. Since schools were closed, this was a great opportunity for them We visited Harput Castle in Elazığ, It is very important for Turkish people. “To get to know this region, young people are very curious about this geography.”
