The City of Kars

On the northern edge of the city and in keeping with Kars’ militaristic history lays Kars Castle. The castle is something of a chaotic mass of walls and towers of black stone, rising in rows one above the next.  Kars Castle was originally built by the Saltukid rulers in 1153 and was expanded and restored repeatedly over the centuries by its various masters. At one point the castle had 220 towers though only a handful are left intact to this day.

Today, Kars Castle has been restored to make it safe for visitors and to keep the ancient fortifications from crumbling. The view is excellent, and the cafes in the lower castle are a great place to pass the time while looking down at the little city.

Built in 937 as a cathedral when the city of Kars was the capital of an Armenian kingdom, the fate of the Church of the Twelve Apostles has changed with every new ruler that has taken over the city. It was changed from a church to a mosque to a church again over the course of hundreds of years until it was turned into a museum in 1964. In 1993 the museum was moved to a new location and the building was again used as a mosque.

Interestingly, a surprising number of Christian symbols have been left intact on the building. On the outside you can still see depictions of the Twelve Apostles (after whom the church was named) carved around the outside of the drum, just below the conical roof between the arches. As a mosque it is rather unoriginally known as Kümbet Mosque, meaning “Domed Mosque”.

In the area surrounding Kümbet Mosque at the foot of Kars Castle you’ll find a handful of other historic buildings, many of which have recently been restored. The great mosque (Ulu Camii, built 17th century) is a plain building recently restored from a state of ruin where only portions of the exterior walls were left standing. A little way below you’ll find Evliya Mosque. Built in 1579 by Sultan Murat III, it’s by far the finest example of Ottoman architecture in the city. Closer to the foot of the castle you’ll find a stone bridge and a pair of Turkish Baths as well. The area has recently been cleaned up and given a park-like atmosphere.

One of the most unique aspects of this small provincial city is its out of place architecture. When the Russian Empire expanded into Georgia and Armenia it continued on into Ottoman Territory and even held the city of Kars for about forty years. During those forty years the Russians built a surprising amount of infrastructure, government, and private buildings; all in the Baltic Architectural style popular across Russia in the late 1800’s and into the early 1900’s. Many of the best buildings left by the Russians have been turned into local government offices.

By far the greatest example of Russian architectural influence in the city, Fethiye Mosque was originally built as a Russian Orthodox church with towering steeples. (To see what the church once looked like visit the Kars Museum, more info below.) In 1958 the church was converted into a mosque, renamed ‘Fethiye’ (roughly translated it means conquest), and a pair of minarets were added. The originally eastward oriented church was only slightly altered when converted into a mosque so that worshipers would face south to Mecca.

Turkey’s most popular train journey offers twenty-four hours of magnificent scenery from Ankara’s plains to mystical town of Divriği, to the rainbow coloured hills of Erzurum, and up into the high steppes of Kars. In the winter travellers look out on pristine snow-covered landscapes from the comfort of heated train cars. The Eastern Express train is a destination in itself rather than a mode of transport. This is as much because the journey is beautiful as it is because the train is slow. If you’re in a hurry, maybe skip the train and take a plane.

For prices see the official Eastern Express Website

On the edge of the city centre (Mezra street) is a small provincial museum showcasing a general history of Kars and the surrounding region. From a T-Rex bone to looms, the museum covers a great variety of topics. A great deal of attention is given to the various peoples and their unique cultures that have inhabited the area over the past couple centuries, Circassians, Armenians, Georgians, Azeri, and Turks. One highlight is to see photographs from the late 1800’s of ancient buildings that have since fallen into ruin or disappeared completely.