Arter
| Arter | ||
|---|---|---|
| Waters | Lake Van | |
| Geographical location | 38 ° 22 ′ N , 43 ° 0 ′ E | |
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| Residents | uninhabited | |
Arter , also known as Kuş Adası (Turkish " Bird Island ", Armenian Առտեր կղզի Arrter kghzi ), is a small island in Lake Van in southeastern Turkey . It is uninhabited today. On it are the ruins of the small Armenian monastery Arterivank , which was probably founded in early Christian times.
The monastery consisted of two churches that were built on a hill on the island. One of the two churches, the Mother of God Church ( Surb Astvatsatsin ) was preserved as a ruin. The long rectangular building consists of a barrel-vaulted room with a semicircular apse. The ceiling is reinforced in the western area by a belt arch that rests on pilasters.
Adjacent to the west were other buildings of the monastery, of which only the foundations are left today. The structures were kept very simple and consisted of hewn natural stones .