By far the most impressive castle of the east of Turkey, in the village of Hoşap (new name: Güzelsu, both meaning "Nice water") in the Gürpınar district of Van province. Classical Armenian, perhaps older (Urartu) origins, until the early 19th century centre of the Kurdish emirate of Mahmudiye. Was for a decade occupied by the beys of Müküs (Bahçesaray) until it fell in the hands of the Ottomans in 1846.
