Başkale (, ) is a municipality and district of Van Province, Turkey.Büyükşehir İlçe Belediyesi , Turkey Civil Administration Departments Inventory. Retrieved 19 September 2023. Its area is 2,727 km2, and its population is 44,168 (2022). The municipality Başkale was established in 1937. In the local elections of March 2019 Erkan Acar from the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) was elected mayor.
Geography Başkale is situated west of the Turkey-Iran border. of the national border is on the east and north-east of the Başkale district. Başkale shares district borders with Yüksekova District of Hakkari Province to the south, Saray and Özalp districts of Van Province to the north, and Gürpınar district of Van Province to the west.
Başkale is situated 2460 metres above sea level, in the valley of the Great Zab River (Zapsuyu), and the town stands on the eastern slope of the south-eastern Taurus Mountains. The majority of the Başkale district is mountainous. The agricultural portion is only , approximately 14% of the total area. Başkale is enclosed by Mount (Yiğit)/Haravil (3468 m) in the east, Mount Başkale/İspiriz (3668 m) in the west, and Mount Gökdağ (3604 m) in the south-east. The mountains of Mor, Haravil, Mengene and Çekvan are in the district of Başkale. Other geographical features in Başkale include the Karasu river, and the plateaus of Nebirnav, Kevçikan, Hanasor, Çekvan, Aşkitan (Ülya), Perihan, Meydan, Harinan, Terazın, Sülav, Medgezeren, Pistekan, Herevil-Şirez, Derevan, Derik, Bağarük, Düava and Mengen.
Climate
Demographics According to Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition from 1911, the town included 10 thousand people, mostly consisting of Kurds but also 1.5 thousand Armenians and 1 thousand Jews.
Composition There are 69 neighbourhoods in Başkale District:Mahalle , Turkey Civil Administration Departments Inventory. Retrieved 19 September 2023.
Açıkağıl Akçalı Albayrak Aşağıküme Aşalan Atlılar Aydemir Azıklı Barış Belencik Beşocak Bilgeç Böğrüpek Bölekli Büklümdere Çakırdoğan Çaldıran Dereiçi Deringeçit Ekecek Erek Erkonağı Esenyamaç Eşmepınar Evbakan Gedikbaşı Gelenler Güleçler Güroluk Güvendik Hafiziye Hasanbey Ilıcak Işıklı Kaşkol Kavurgalı Keçilioba Kızılca Kocaköy Koçdağı Konuksayar Köprüağzı Kovalıpınar Mahmutabat Oğulveren Ömerdağı Öncüler Örencik Örenkale Örmetaş Ortayazı Ortayol Özpınar Saçan Sallıdere Savaş Sualtı Tahıl Tepebaşı Tınazlı Uğurlu Yanal Yavuzlar Yeni Yolmaçayır Yukarıdallı Yukarıdarıca Yukarıdikmen Yurttepe
References
Further reading