IN PICTURES: The ancient Armenian silversmiths of Turkey's Van

Silver work is intricate and time consuming (MEE /Joanne Lisinski)

Before WW1 there were hundreds of silvermiths in Van alone (MEE /Joanne Lisinski)

Hammered silver features in a number of the designs (MEE /Joanne Lisinski)

The delicate silverwork is used for various products (MEE /Joanne Lisinski)

Only the most talented in the workshop go on to become full silversmiths (MEE /Joanne Lisinski)

Silverwork involves high temperatures and highly developed skills (MEE /Joanne Lisinski)

A mosque in Van which has long been abandoned but is now being renovated by the Turkish government (MEE /Joanne Lisinski)

Examples of the silverwork inspired by ancient Biblical empires (MEE /Joanne Lisinski)

A small selection of some of the finished silver products (MEE /Joanne Lisinski)

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