Kars: Castle, Museums and Ani

Kars brings together distinctive architectural history and museums that reveal different facets of the past. Ani, in the wider region, adds another focus, with its buildings and history. Kars can also be explored as a stop on the Eastern Express tourist route. The impressions you want to focus on—castle and city history, archaeological finds or Ani—can shape your choice of destinations and, in turn, the selection of a suitable holiday rental in Kars.

Architectural history and changing uses

Taş Köprü was built in 1579 by Lala Mustafa Paşa during construction work ordered by Sultan Murat III. The bridge therefore represents a specific period in Kars’ architectural history. Kars Kalesi marks a different point in time: in 1152, the Saltuklu ruler Melik İzzeddin had it built by his vizier Firuz Akay. The complex includes a mosque, a tomb, barracks, an arsenal and a cistern; three large gates are set into the outer walls. The castle’s history cannot therefore be reduced to a single structure: its listed features include religious, military and practical elements.

Kümbet Camisi also shows how a building’s use has changed over time. In the 19th century, under Russian rule, it was used as a Russian Orthodox church; in 1918 it was converted back into a mosque, and from 1964 to 1981 it served as the Kars Museum. Today it is used as a mosque. Visitors interested in the city’s different historical layers will find a concrete sequence of uses here, rather than a single, unchanging function.

Museums offering different perspectives

The archaeological hall of Kars Müzesi covers a period stretching from the Paleolithic to the Ottoman era. Its objects include metalwork and stonework, coins, grain vessels and a dinosaur bone. This selection brings together different materials and periods. The ethnography hall offers a different emphasis: its objects reflect the social, cultural, economic and military life of Kars and its surroundings. Groups with varied interests can distinguish between the two perspectives—the archaeological objects in one hall and aspects of life in the region in the other.

The Kafkas-Cephesi War History Museum focuses on historical documents about the fighting on the Caucasus Front and stages scenes from soldiers’ everyday lives under the wartime conditions of the period. In eight main rooms, it presents selected events from 1828 up to the proclamation of the republic. The documents, everyday scenes and choice of time period give this museum a different focus from the halls of Kars Müzesi. You can therefore consider in advance whether you would rather include archaeological and ethnographic collections or the presentation of military history in your trip.

Ani and the wider region

In the wider region, the Archaeological Site of Ani was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2016. The city walls of Ani are 4.5 kilometres long and were built to follow the terrain in a triangular shape. Among the buildings listed there is Menuçehr Camii, considered the first mosque built by Turks in Anatolia. Its adjoining octagonal stone minaret, with 99 steps, has survived to this day. After the Seljuk conquest of 1064, the Cathedral of Ani was converted into a mosque and is also known as Fethiye Camii. Frescoes in the Church of Tigran Honents depict events from Jesus’ life, from his birth to his death.

Ani-Ören-Yeri is within the village area of Ani, 42 kilometres from Kars city centre. There is a bus service between Kars and Ani; alternatively, you can reach Ani by taxi or car. These details help make your excursion plans more concrete: there are different ways to travel to Ani, while the listed sights form a distinct regional focus. A tomb in the city centre offers another perspective: the Tomb of Ebul Hasan Harakani in the Kaleiçi quarter was opened to visitors after restoration in 1998.

The destination overview includes pages for Çolaklı, Kars, Akyaka, Sarıkamış, Yenice, Yukarıdamlapınar, Dağpınar, Selim and Kağızman.

For the broader travel overview: Anatolia.