Akdamar Island on Lake Van is one of the most popular destinations in eastern Turkey, not only because of its natural beauty in spring but also as home to one of the best examples of Armenian architecture in the region: Akdamar Church.

The newly blossoming almond trees paint the island in pink and white, creating an unearthly atmosphere for locals and visitors. Situated in the middle of the turquoise blue of Lake Van and surrounded by the snowy mountains and blossoming almond trees, Akdamar Island offers an admirable view that visitors coming to the island can't get enough of.

The Armenian Orthodox church, Akdamar Church – also known as the Church of the Holy Cross, is the real star of the island.

The island and its surrounding provinces were once ruled by the Kingdom of Vaspurakan as a vassal of the Abbasids in the Middle Ages. In the 10th century, between 915 and 921, Armenian King Gagik I Ardzruni tasked Bishop Manuel, one of the greatest Armenian architects in history, to build a church on the island, which is believed to house a piece of the True Cross, the actual cross that Jesus Christ was crucified on.

Blossoming almond trees on Turkey's Akdamar Island in Lake Van, eastern Turkey, April 11, 2021.

The Cathedral of the Holy Cross on Akdamar Island in Lake Van, eastern Turkey, April 11, 2021.

The Cathedral of the Holy Cross on Akdamar Island in Lake Van, eastern Turkey, April 11, 2021.

The Cathedral of the Holy Cross on Akdamar Island in Lake Van, eastern Turkey, April 11, 2021.

The Cathedral of the Holy Cross on Akdamar Island in Lake Van, eastern Turkey, April 11, 2021.

The Cathedral of the Holy Cross on Akdamar Island in Lake Van, eastern Turkey, April 11, 2021.