Akdamar Island

“Ah Tamar…” The name of the island in the middle of Lake Van is said to come from the last words of a drowning young man. Legend has it that Tamara, who lived on the island, lit a lamp every night for her beloved, and the young man swam across the dark waters toward that light. One stormy night the light was put out; losing his way, the young man was swallowed by the waves, crying out his beloved’s name with his last breath… So what kind of building befits an island named for a love?