Editing Van, Turkey (section)

== Geography ==
The city of Van is located at the western foot of [[Mount Erek]].
=== Climate ===
Van has a [[Humid continental climate|Mediterranean-influenced humid continental climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification|Köppen]]: ''Dsa,'' [[Trewartha climate classification|Trewartha]]'': Dc'') with cold, snowy winters and very warm, dry summers. Precipitation can be observed for the majority of the year, with a slight peak during spring and autumn, and a brief dry summer from July to September.

{{Weather box 
|metric first= Yes 
|single line= Yes 
|location= Van (1991–2020, extremes 1939–2023)
|Jan record high C = 12.6
|Feb record high C = 14.3
|Mar record high C = 22.7
|Apr record high C = 27.2
|May record high C = 29.3
|Jun record high C = 33.5
|Jul record high C = 37.5
|Aug record high C = 36.7
|Sep record high C = 35.0
|Oct record high C = 28.8
|Nov record high C = 20.1
|Dec record high C = 15.5
|year record high C = 37.5
|Jan high C = 2.9
|Feb high C = 3.5
|Mar high C = 7.5
|Apr high C = 13.2
|May high C = 18.6
|Jun high C = 24.3
|Jul high C = 28.3
|Aug high C = 28.8
|Sep high C = 24.4
|Oct high C = 17.8
|Nov high C = 10.3
|Dec high C = 5.2
|year high C = 15.4
|Jan mean C = −2.1
|Feb mean C = −1.2
|Mar mean C = 2.9
|Apr mean C = 8.4
|May mean C = 13.4
|Jun mean C = 18.8
|Jul mean C = 22.7
|Aug mean C = 22.9
|Sep mean C = 18.4
|Oct mean C = 12.1
|Nov mean C = 5.2
|Dec mean C = 0.2
|year mean C = 10.1
|Jan low C = −6.0
|Feb low C = −5.2
|Mar low C = −1.2
|Apr low C = 3.6
|May low C = 8.0
|Jun low C = 12.3
|Jul low C = 16.0
|Aug low C = 16.2
|Sep low C = 12.0
|Oct low C = 6.8
|Nov low C = 0.9
|Dec low C = −3.6
|year low C = 5.0
|Jan record low C = −28.7
|Feb record low C = −28.2
|Mar record low C = −22.7
|Apr record low C = −13.1
|May record low C = −3.5
|Jun record low C = −2.6
|Jul record low C = 3.6
|Aug record low C = 5.0
|Sep record low C = −0.1
|Oct record low C = −14.0
|Nov record low C = −18.6
|Dec record low C = −21.3
|year record low C = −28.7
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation mm = 32.9 
|Feb precipitation mm = 35.4
|Mar precipitation mm = 49.0
|Apr precipitation mm = 57.2
|May precipitation mm = 45.8
|Jun precipitation mm = 16.6
|Jul precipitation mm = 7.9
|Aug precipitation mm = 5.6
|Sep precipitation mm = 19.9
|Oct precipitation mm = 45.9
|Nov precipitation mm = 48.8
|Dec precipitation mm = 45.2
|year precipitation mm = 410.2 
|Jan precipitation days = 9.83
|Feb precipitation days = 10.7
|Mar precipitation days = 12.57
|Apr precipitation days = 12.43
|May precipitation days = 12
|Jun precipitation days = 5.23
|Jul precipitation days = 2.37
|Aug precipitation days = 1.3
|Sep precipitation days = 2.6
|Oct precipitation days = 8.07
|Nov precipitation days = 8.7
|Dec precipitation days = 10.53
|year precipitation days = 95.8
| Jan snow days  =11.67
| Feb snow days  =10.88
| Mar snow days  =9.13
| Apr snow days  =1.58
| May snow days  =0.08
| Jun snow days  =0
| Jul snow days  =0
| Aug snow days  =0
| Sep snow days  =0
| Oct snow days  =0.17
| Nov snow days  =2.75
| Dec snow days  =10
| year snow days =
| Jan humidity = 67.4
| Feb humidity = 68.2
| Mar humidity = 66.1
| Apr humidity = 60.2
| May humidity = 55.9
| Jun humidity = 47.6
| Jul humidity = 42.9
| Aug humidity = 40.9
| Sep humidity = 44.3
| Oct humidity = 57.4
| Nov humidity = 64.5
| Dec humidity = 68.0
| year humidity = 56.9
|Jan sun = 155.0
|Feb sun = 161.0
|Mar sun = 201.5 
|Apr sun = 231.0
|May sun = 294.5
|Jun sun = 351.0 
|Jul sun = 372.0 
|Aug sun = 347.2 
|Sep sun = 306.0
|Oct sun = 232.5 
|Nov sun = 177.0 
|Dec sun = 127.1
|year sun = 
|Jand sun = 5.0
|Febd sun = 5.7
|Mard sun = 6.5
|Aprd sun = 7.7
|Mayd sun = 9.5
|Jund sun = 11.7
|Juld sun = 12.0
|Augd sun = 11.2
|Sepd sun = 10.2
|Octd sun = 7.5
|Novd sun = 5.9
|Decd sun = 4.1
|yeard sun = 8.1
|source 1 = [[Turkish State Meteorological Service]]<ref name=eather1>
{{cite web
| url = https://www.mgm.gov.tr/veridegerlendirme/il-ve-ilceler-istatistik.aspx?k=H&m=VAN
| title = Resmi İstatistikler: İllerimize Ait Mevism Normalleri (1991–2020)
| publisher = Turkish State Meteorological Service
| language = tr
| access-date = 2 May 2021}}</ref>
| source 2 = [[NOAA]] (humidity, 1991–2020),<ref name=WMOCLINO>{{cite web |format=CSV | url = https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/archive/arc0216/0253808/2.2/data/0-data/Region-6-WMO-Normals-9120/Turkiye/CSV/Van_Bolge_17172.csv | title = World Meteorological Organization Climate Normals for 1991–2020: Van Bolge | publisher = [[NCEI|National Centers for Environmental Information]] | access-date = 2 August 2023}}</ref> Meteomanz<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.meteomanz.com/sy3?l=1&cou=6290&ind=17170&m1=01&y1=2000&m2=12&y2=2023 |title=Van/Feritmelen - Weather data by months |access-date=12 July 2024 |website=meteomanz}}</ref>
}}

===Landmarks===
[[File:Wan_JPG.jpg|thumb|left|260px|View of the city from Van Castle]]
The modern city is located on the plain extending from the [[Lake Van]], at a distance of {{convert|5|km|0|abbr=off}} from the lake shore. Reports have appeared over the years of a certain [[Lake Van Monster]] said to live in the lake. [[Lake Erçek]] is the second largest lake in the region and lies just east of Lake Van.

Van has often been called "The Pearl of the East" because of the beauty of its surrounding landscape. An old Armenian proverb in the same sense is "Van in this world, paradise in the next".<ref>{{Cite book| last = Hewsen | first = Robert H. |author-link=Robert H. Hewsen | title = Armenia: A Historical Atlas | year = 2001 | publisher = [[The University of Chicago Press]] | isbn = 0-226-33228-4 | pages = 207 }}</ref> This phrase has been slightly modified in Turkish as ''Dünyada Van, ahirette iman'' or "Van for this world, faith for the next".

The city is home to [[Van Yüzüncü Yıl Üniversitesi]] (''Van 100th Year University'') and recently came to the headlines for two highly publicized investigations initiated by the Prosecutor of Van, one of which was focused on accusations against the university's [[Rector (academia)|rector]], [[Hasan Ceylan]], who was kept in custody for a time. He was finally acquitted but lost his rectorate. He is a grandson of [[Güllü Agop|Agop Vartovyan]], an Ottoman Armenian who is accepted as the founder of modern Turkish theatre. Hasan Ceylan is also the department chairman of Environmental Engineering at [[Van Yüzüncü Yıl University]].
[[File:Vankahvalti.jpg|thumb|right|220px| Famous breakfast table in Van]]

===Earthquakes===
{{more|1941 Van–Erciş earthquake|2011 Van earthquake}}
In 1941, Van suffered a destructive [[1941 Van–Erciş earthquake|5.9 M<sub>w</sub> earthquake]].<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Damcı|first1=Erdem|last2=Temur|first2=Rasim|last3=Bekdaş|first3=Gebrail|last4=Sayin|first4=Baris|date=2015-12-01|title=Damages and causes on the structures during the October 23, 2011 Van earthquake in Turkey|journal=Case Studies in Construction Materials|language=en|volume=3|pages=112–131|doi=10.1016/j.cscm.2015.10.001|issn=2214-5095|doi-access=free}}</ref> A more severe [[2011 Van earthquake|7.2 M<sub>w</sub> earthquake]] occurred on 23 October 2011.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://edition.cnn.com/2011/10/23/world/europe/turkey-earthquake/index.html?hpt=hp_t1 | title = Report: Death toll rises to 217 after massive earthquake in Turkey | date = 2011-10-24 | access-date = 2011-10-24 | publisher=CNN}}</ref> On the 9 November 2011, another earthquake caused several buildings to collapse.<ref>{{Cite web|title=At least 5 dead in quake in eastern Turkey|url=https://www.cnn.com/2011/11/09/world/turkey-earthquake/index.html|access-date=2020-07-16|website=CNN|date=9 November 2011}}</ref>