Erciş

Erciş (pronounced [eɾˈdʒiːʃ]; Armenian: Ականց, Akants; historically Արճեշ, Artchesh) is a town and its surrounding district located in the Van Province, Turkey. The mayor is Fatih Çiftçi (AKP). This small district several times was the capital city of some ruling states. It was fortified in the early 14th century by the Vizir Ilkhanid Ali Shah. Erciş was a town of Karakoyunlu Turks. Erciş was moved to its new location called Alada in 1841, due to floods. In 1914, the Russians invaded the city, but they were eventually expelled from the city on April 1, 1918. It suffered a major earthquake on October 23, 2011. The district has total of 2,115 km² area and is surrounded by Muradiye on the east, Bitlis on the west, Ağrı on the north and the...