Maku
The journey from Tabriz to Maku was very scenic. We first passed snow capped mountains then rolling hills decorated with flocks of sheep their shepherds and sheep dogs in tow. As we approached Maku the landscape became more rocky and we crossed a deep narrow gorge with a river flowing through it. Maku itself is located, impressively, at the bottom of a steep rocky valley with the remains of an old citadel looking down on it.
Arriving in Maku we took a taxi to the Avand hotel with Elisabetta. We arranged thwi the taxi driver to visit the Ghareh keliseh church after lunch. The church is located 70km from Maku, the journey passed through more fantastic scenery. The church itself is located scenically next to a small Kurdish village with a backdrop of rocky mountains.
The following day we took a taxi to the border at Bazargan then after dealing with the money changers and the scrum at immigration we entered Turkey and hopped in a dolmus to Doğubeyazıt.