Vedat Akçayöz Tazebey Çakaz Yıldırım Öztürkkan Sezai Yazıcı Özcan Yurdalan
Would you tike to ski on crystallized snow? Or watch the snow fall from in front of a cozy fire on a winter afternoon? Lose your way wandering through century-old streets, admiring unique Russian architecture and imagining the life of those stone houses?
How about following one of Turkey's most important bird trails, and seeking out flowers that can't be found anywhere else?
Are you ready to encounter the city of Orhan Pamuk's novel 'Snow'? Or to go back thousands of years as you explore the ancient city of Ani, one of the world's most precious cultural heritage sites?
There is a place where you can do all these: Kars.
Kars is Turkey's gateway to the Caucasus. It's a city which is likely to be on one of the new borders of the European Union in the near future. A must-see city, with its thick white blanket throughout the winter, and its Russian architecture.
More than just a guide, this book is a collective work...
It is the product of an adventure undertaken by the people of Kars as they talk about their own city - a book in which locals describe their home and welcome their guests.
2. History Kars in the prehistoric period / 19 Hurrians, Urartians / 21 Kimmerians, Tigran kingdom, / 22 Bagratid kingdom, Byzantine period / 23 Seljuk period / 23 Georgians and Mongalians / 24 Karakoyunlular, Akkoyunlular, Safavids / 24 Ottomans, / 25 Russians, the war of `93 / 26 Kars under Russian rule / 28 Regulations for muslim people / 30 The Sarikamiş front / 30 The democratic republic of the Southwest Caucasus / 31
4. Sightseeing Kaleiçi (old city) / 41 Tahtdüzü (new city) / 47 Ani / 53 Around ani / 61 Sarikamiş and Around / 63 Digor and Around / 64 Akyaka, Kağizman and Around / 65 Susuz / 67 Çildir / 67
5. Culture Music / 68 The 'âşik' tradition / 71 Cuisine / 71 Sport / 76 Media / 77 Culture, art and sports centers / 79
6. Kars in photographs / 81
7. What is where? Accomodation / 113 Food and drink / 115 Rent a car / 119 Internet cafes, photography studios / 119 Transportation / 120
PREFACE
This book is the product of a joint effort. A considerable number of books have been written about Kars over its history, but not many in the relatively modern format of the guide book. In recent years, Kars has become one of the main attractions of Eastern Anatolia with its history, geography, daily life, and also through new archeological discoveries and artistic and cultural projects that tie its past to its present.
Kars has always been of interest to travelers but has recently become a destination visited by an increasing number of tourists every year.
This book is the result of a project undertaken by many writers and editors. The intention is to promote the city to guests and help them create daily programs. The contributors to this book are also local people who take part in the social, cultural and political life of their city. The book draws on a significant number of sources that provide access to current knowledge about the city, and on long periods of discussion and exchange of individual observations and interpretations.
The purpose was obviously not just to publish a guide book. Throughout its preparation we have benefited from the process involved in sharing our creativity and thus enhancing knowledge and mutual understanding. Many thanks go to Okay Akarca, Ayşe Alibeyoğlu, Naif Alibeyoğlu, Semiha Alibeyoğlu, Rana Zincir Celal, Kemal Gökhan Gürses, Dilşad Oygur, Gül Pulhan, Alper Sezer, Hülya Sezer, Cengiz Şıklı, Serap Tombul and all the members of the City Council for their valuable contributions.
We hope that this Kars guide will be a means of bringing more guests to the city, and that they will leave pleased with their experience in the Kars area.
Kars, city guide
Editors: Vedat Akcayöz (Routes and culture sections), Tazebey Çakaz (History section), Yıldırım Öztürkkan (Historical heritage and sightseeing sections), Sezai Yazıcı, Özcan Yurdalan
This book is published by Kars city council with the support of European cultural foundation and the Chrest foundation within the Local cultural policy program of Anadolu kultur. The content of the book does not necessarily reflect the views of the European Cultural Foundation and the Chrest Foundation.
