Adir Island

Adır Island, formerly known as Lim Island, is an island located in the northern part of Lake Van, approximately 1 km² in size (2.41 km from one end to the other, and approximately 670 m wide at its widest point). The distance between the island's closest point to the mainland and the island itself is approximately 1.74 km.

The nearest port to the island is located between the villages of Halkalı and Yaylıyaka. It takes about 15-20 minutes by ferry to reach the island. We didn't encounter any animals on the island other than seagulls and snakes. The grass growing on the island's surface is dense and untouched, making it quite soft and tiring to walk on. The island has many almond trees, as well as mulberry and hawthorn trees.

The island contains remnants of an ancient settlement. At the center of these ruins is a church, of which only a section remains standing today. We also saw two water wells on the island; it is said there were four in total. There is also a cemetery on the island.

Looking at the island's history, various sources describe it as having housed an important library (Lim Monastery) containing written works, as well as a monastery that provided boarding education. It is also said that the island was once used as a summer pasture by villagers for grazing sheep.

While walking around the island, we saw many dead seagulls, and we were curious about the reason, but we couldn't come to a clear conclusion.