Akdamar Island

Akdamar Island is the second largest island in Van Lake in Turkey. The island is the home of the well-known Armenian Holy Cross Cathedral, which was built in the 10th century. It was built by an Armenian noble Gagik I Artsruni to keep a piece of the Genuine Cross, which is rumored to have been brought to the Van region in the 7th century. The island and the cathedral were the seat of the Armenian Apostolic Catholicosate of Akdamar for more than 700 years.