Ktuts Island in Lake Van
Location: Lake Van
Area 1 km²
Ktuts Island is one of the four islands of Lake Van. It is located in the east of the lake, about 1 km from the shore. The other three islands are Lim, Arter and Akhtamar.
The name of the island Ktuts means “beak” in Armenian. The reason for the name is the fact that at low tide, the island becomes a peninsula.
In the Middle Ages, there was a monastery complex of Ktutsi Anapat (desert) on the island, which although is no longer active, the buildings are still standing. According to legend, it was founded by the first Catholicos of the Armenian ChurchGrigor Lusavorich
Desert inns or lodges called “Outer Houses” were built on the shores of the lake.
This desert belonged to the coastal plains where the members of the brotherhood (100 people) worked. In the early 17th century, part of the Lim Desert community moved to Ktuts Island.
The island and desert were abandoned during the 1915 Armenian genocide.
