Başkale

Başkale, historically known as Albak, lies in a mountain valley southeast of Lake Van. Its position placed it among the Armenian highlands and the lands of the Hakkari Kurdish lords. The district passed through the hands of local dynasties and larger powers, including the Qara Qoyunlu and the Safavids, before becoming part of the Ottoman realm in the sixteenth century. Its valleys and mountain passes linked the Van basin with the lands farther south.