Hakkari is 210 kilometers (130 miles) southeast of Van. It's area is around 9520 square kilometers and the population is about 284.000 (2020). The city sits at an altitude of 1700 meters (5577 feet), with high mountains dominating the land and wide valleys separate the great peaks with heights exceeding 4,000 meters (13,100 feet). Mounts Cilo and Sat are two of the outstanding ones for mountaineering and winter sports, but not always open to public due to security problems. The snow accumulating on the upper parts of these mountains form beautiful glaciers. The Zap Valley, through which the road to the city passes, offers fantastic scenery.
This land has witnessed the passing of tribes in Anatolia since earliest times. Many rock drawings have been discovered on Guveruk and Tirsin plateaus to the west of Hakkari. Ruins of several Christian churches and palaces can also be seen in the districts of the city. The medieval fortress reflects the history of this small region and is worth seeing, together with the Medresse standing nearby used until the beginning of 1900's. Kayme Palace is another important ruin today, built by Seyyid Abdullah.
Taskopru (stone bridge) was built during the Ottoman period on Semdinli river, at 12 kilometers (7,5 miles) to the district center, and it's still being used today. The bridge is 11 meters high, 21 meters long, and 3 meters wide.
Hakkari has three districts; Çukurca, Semdinli, Yüksekova. The whole province is famous for its Kilim production.
Because of its high mountains and plateaus, the flora of Hakkari is unique. For example Ters Lale (upside down tulip) is one of the plants growing only in this part of the world, on Cilo mountains. Assyrians called it as "crying tulip" because of drops of water coming out every morning from its bulb. The plant is under special preservation and is not permitted to export outside of the country.