Investigation of the potential of Nemrut Caldera to become a geopark

Nemrut Caldera, locates on the western shore of Lake Van and in the province of Bitlis. A series of volcanic activities lasting about 1 million years has brought this natural wonder to our country. Similar formations in different regions of the world are declared as geopark and taken under protection and offered to education and tourism services. Within the scope of this study, 24 geosites were identified in Nemrut Caldera and 3 of these are cultural geosites. The study area is extremely rich in terms of geological formations and living life and has satisfactory visuality in terms of its values. It is concluded that evaluation of Nemrut Caldera as a geopark will contribute to the sustainable development of the region through geotourism by preserving an important geological heritage area of Turkey and transferring it to future generations and using it for geoscience education.