Ishak Pasha Palace

A late Ottoman palace-complex begun around 1685 and completed in 1784, Ishak Pasha Palace stands on a rocky spur above the Doğubayazıt plain in eastern Turkey near the Iranian border. The structure combines Ottoman, Seljuk, Georgian, and Persian architectural elements within a fortified compound containing a mosque, harem, throne room, and mausoleum. At sunset, the pink and yellow volcanic stone of the palace glows against the silhouette of Mount Ararat rising 5,137 meters directly behind it, forming one of the most dramatic architectural backdrops in Turkey.