Kars City Guide

Kars City Guide

With a history tracing back to Neolithic Era, 9000-8000 B.C., Kars is located in the East Anatolian Region. Located at the farthest eastern Anatolia, the east border of Turkey, Kars has border with Armenia. Arpacay determines some part of the Kars-Armenia border. The city is famous for its honey and kasar cheese (a pale yellow cheese made of sheep's milk).

Tourist Attractions

Existing as an uninterrupted settlement area since Paleolithic era, the city has many historical and cultural structures. In addition to its historical ruins going back to the far history, Kars is one of the fundamental winter tourism locations of Turkey.

Ani Archaic City from the Medieval Era is located on the historical Silk Road at the south of the city, 42 km away from the Centrum. This archaic city harboring many cultural and historical brilliants is one of the most visited locations in the city. The city ramparts and the lion relief on the walls, Inner Castle, Big Cathedral, Menucehr Mosque, Seljuk Caravansary, Illustrated Church and Seljuk Hamams are the most important cultural and historical real estates of the archaic city. Also, many archaeological and monumental structures are existed within the city. You should certainly visit this historical city housing most of the historical values of Kars.

Kars Castle also named as Center Castle, Inner Castle or Stadel is another significant structure that you should travel. Especially, the three doors of the castle at the north are sumptuous. Sukapisi (Ceribasi), Kagizman and Behram (Bayrampasa) entrances have a mystic grandeur.

The palaces at the city reflect the proud and opulent face of the history of the city. Lala Mustafa Pasha constructed Beylerbeyi Palace at the skirt of the city castle in 1579. Seljuk Palace is situated at the southwest of Ani Archaic City. It has galleries, rooms, storehouses, geometric mosaics and motives.

Menucehr Mosque is the first mosque built by Seljuk Empire in Anatolia. Also, Evliya Mosque is another significant structure of the city.

Kars Archeology and Ethnography Museum is one of the other culturally and historically important places of the city. Paleolithic, Neolithic, Urartian, Roman, Seljuk and Ottoman artifacts are exhibited within the museum. You should visit the museum to find these and more.

Culture & Entertainment

The authentic wearing apparels, folk dances, instruments, the cultural institutions and more constitute the rich culture of Kars.

Tar, reed flute, Azerbaijan def, drum, horn are the main instruments accompanying the dances peculiar to the city.

Central Town and Public Library, Kagizman District and Public Library, Kars Fine Arts Gallery and Kars Culture Center are the examples from the available constitutions in the city.

Sarikamis Winter Sports Center is one of the significant locations for winter tourism in Turkey. Also, Kuyucuk Lake, Cali Lake and Balik (Fish) Lake are marvelous bird paradises of the city.

Food & Drink

Kars honey and cheese are fairly popular in Turkey. The city cuisine has a colorful and rich menu. Although wheat is the main supply of the city cuisine you can find meat and vegetables as prevalent ingredients of the culinary culture of Kars.

The authentic foods: Helva, horre (flour soup), Kars pastry, hangel, kete (bread), sulu kofte, eriste pilaf, hasil, eksili meat, feselli, yaprak (leaf) manti (a ravioli-like dish served with yogurt), kesme soup, hasuda (sweet), kuymak, eriste asi, pilaf with lamb and nezik...

Shopping

Kars carpets and kilims are famous. The authentic silver belts and different kinds of silver commodities are the main local goods of the city. Also, when leaving the city you should get Kars honey and Kars cheese with you.

Kazim Pasa Street and Bakircilar Street are home to the main souvenir shops of the city. Kazimpasa Street and Kaikbey Street harbor some of the main jewellery shops of the city.