Mount Nemrut favorite spot for paragliders

BİTLİS

Mount Nemrut in the Tatvan district of Bitlis, home to the world’s second-largest and Türkiye’s largest crater lake, has become a favorite destination for paragliding enthusiasts thanks to its unique scenery.

The Yumurtatepe area at the foot of Mount Nemrut attracts adrenaline lovers with its favorable wind conditions, wide field of vision, altitude and landscape.

Paragliders who take off from the slopes of the mountain soar thousands of meters into the air, enjoying flights accompanied by the magnificent view of Lake Van.

Paragliders, who have the opportunity to view the region’s natural beauty and Tatvan from a bird’s-eye perspective, also contribute to promoting the city by sharing these visuals on various platforms.

Members of the Bitlis Paragliding Club and Erzincan Aviation and Nature Sports Club, who experience the joy of flying over Lake Van from Mount Nemrut, aim to popularize this sport.

Nurullah Ulutaş, president of the Bitlis Paragliding Club and dean of the Faculty of Science and Letters at Bitlis Eren University, told state-run Anadolu Agency that they aim to increase young people’s interest in aviation.

“We have entered a period of a terror-free Türkiye. We are greeting this new era with paragliding from the mountains of Tatvan, at the foot of Mount Nemrut. We want to popularize this sport,” Ulutaş said.

“We expect support from all institutions for this sport. Yumurtatepe and Nemrut are excellent for flying. We also have many hills suitable for paragliding in Adilcevaz, Ahlat and Tatvan. Our university has become a 'specialized university in tourism.' In this context, we want to spread flight tourism, host many pilots in Bitlis and organize target and training competitions here. We also request the Turkish Aeronautical Association and the Turkish Air Sports Federation to officially register these hills as soon as possible. Bitlis is surrounded by mountains on all sides. We live in a geography overlooking Lake Van. These areas are very suitable for flying. We want aviation tourism to become widespread in this region,” Ulutaş added.

Abdulkadir Eren, head of the Erzincan Aviation and Nature Sports Club and a paragliding pilot, said that Mount Nemrut and Tatvan offer a unique landscape.

Explaining that flights can be made in all directions from the Yumurtatepe area, Eren said: “Very nice events and flights can be held here throughout all 12 months. I was fascinated by this atmosphere. Mount Nemrut, with its crater lake on top, has a stunning view. There were beautiful flights in this extraordinary landscape. Yumurtatepe, a unique location in Türkiye, is a hill suitable for training flights with both its view and altitude. I recommend this place to those who want to paraglide. Lake Van is like a vast sea. The wings flying over the lake gave a beautiful sight, like seagulls in flight. Flying in this exceptional scenery brings joy. In front of the Nemrut Crater Lake lies Lake Van. We watch our wings glide between two lakes, two blues.”

Paragliding pilot and member of the Tunceli Sportive Aviation Club, Berkay Özel, also stated that they performed safe flights in Tatvan, one of the prominent districts with the view of Van Lake.

Highlighting that paragliding, contrary to what many believe, is one of the safest branches among extreme sports, Özel said: “We are trying to spread this sport in our Eastern and Southeastern Anatolian regions. In the near future, we plan to organize target and training competitions and offer training here. Hopefully, beautiful things will happen here too.”