Photo: Hansm (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Source Kars is the city of Ani, the medieval capital famed for its "thousand and one churches", which joined the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2016; of Kars Castle, built in 1152; of the 10th-century Church of the Apostles (Kümbet Mosque); and of the Baltic-style architecture of the Russian period, 1878–1918. It is the last stop of the Touristic Eastern Express, and the crystal-snow ski slopes and Scots pine forests of Sarıkamış make it a winter-tourism destination. Kars gruyère, kaşar, goose meat and honey are registered products.
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11 places worth seeing in Kars, from historic monuments to natural wonders, grouped by type. Open any of them on the map with a single click.
Photo: Francesco Bini (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Source According to its inscription, a castle built in 1152 on the order of the Saltukid Sultan Melik İzzeddin, destroyed by Timur in 1386 and rebuilt by Lala Mustafa Paşa in 1579; it offers the widest view of the city and the plain.
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Photo: Doron (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Source A church built in the 10th century under the Bagratid King Abbas I, with reliefs of the twelve apostles on its drum; it was converted into a mosque after 1064, used as a church again in the Russian period, and today serves as the Kümbet Mosque.
View on mapNeoclassical buildings of basalt and cut stone, built in the new grid-plan town during the Russian period of 1878–1918; the governorship, the municipality and the old houses are part of this fabric.
View on mapA cemetery and monument in memory of the soldiers who died in the harsh winter conditions of the Sarıkamış Operation of 22 December 1914 – 6 January 1915 in the First World War; a commemorative march is held every January.
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Photo: Hansm (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Source A medieval city on the banks of the Arpaçay, 45 km east of Kars, the capital of the Bagratid kings from 961 to 1045; with its cathedral known for the "thousand and one churches", the churches of Tigran Honents and St Prkiç, its walls and the Lion Gate, it was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2016.
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Photo: Dosseman (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Source A building at Ani that is thought to have been commissioned by the Shaddadid ruler Ebu'l Menüçehr after the conquest of 1064 and is regarded as the first Turkish mosque in Anatolia; its octagonal minaret looks out over the Arpaçay valley.
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Photo: Adam Jones (CC BY-SA 2.0) · Source A building of dark and light tuff, built in the late 19th century in the Russian period as the Alexander Nevsky Church; it was converted into a mosque after the War of Independence.
View on mapAt the foot of Kars Castle, the tomb believed to be that of the 11th-century mystic Ebu'l Hasan Harakani, said to have been found in 1580, and the mosque beside it; it is the most visited spiritual site in the city.
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Photo: Jaba1977 (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Source A museum founded in 1959 and moved to its present building in 1981; it displays finds from Ani, Urartian and Bronze Age works, an ethnography collection and Kars carpets.
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Photo: Teskilatorg (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Source A ski resort 1 km from the centre of the Sarıkamış district and about 55 km from Kars, known for its pistes among Scots pine forests and its dry, powdery "crystal snow".
View on mapA village where gruyère cheesemaking developed thanks to the dairy founded by the Molokans (Malakans) and the Swiss cheesemaker David Moser, who arrived in 1878; the cheese museum and the dairies can be visited.
View on mapKars lies in the north-east of Türkiye, near the Armenian border, on a broad plateau at an altitude of about 1,750 metres. The city’s history reaches back to the Middle Ages: Kars was briefly the capital of the Bagratid (Bagratuni) Kingdom in the 10th century, and the Church of the Apostles (today the Kümbet Mosque) survives from that period. Ani, rising on the edge of the Arpaçay valley 45 km east of the city, was the capital of the Bagratid kings from 961 to 1045; it was taken by Sultan Alparslan in 1064, and the Ebu’l Menüçehr Mosque, regarded as the first Turkish mosque in Anatolia, was built there. Ani was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2016.
Kars Castle was built in 1152 under the Saltukids; after being destroyed by Timur, it was rebuilt in 1579 by Lala Mustafa Paşa. After the Russo-Turkish War of 1877–78, Kars remained under Russian rule for 40 years; in this period the city was reorganised on a grid plan with broad avenues, and the cut-stone buildings now known as Baltic architecture were built. Molokan (Malakan) communities arriving from Russia started the cheesemaking tradition, and with the help of Swiss masters gruyère production developed at Boğatepe. Kars was taken by Turkish forces on 30 October 1920, and the border was fixed by the 1921 Treaty of Kars.
The city’s best-known portrait in literature is Orhan Pamuk’s novel Snow (Kar). Today Kars is the last stop of the Touristic Eastern Express, a student city for Kafkas University, and, with the ski resorts of Sarıkamış, one of the main destinations for winter tourism.
Kars has a harsh continental climate: winters are among the coldest in Türkiye, and summers are short and cool. Averages for 1931–2025 from the Turkish State Meteorological Service:
| Month | Avg. high | Avg. low | Rainfall | Rainy days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | −4.7 °C | −16.2 °C | 23 mm | 10 |
| February | −2.6 °C | −14.6 °C | 23 mm | 10 |
| March | 3.0 °C | −8.1 °C | 30 mm | 12 |
| April | 11.5 °C | −0.6 °C | 49 mm | 13 |
| May | 16.9 °C | 3.9 °C | 83 mm | 18 |
| June | 21.3 °C | 6.8 °C | 76 mm | 15 |
| July | 25.6 °C | 10.0 °C | 58 mm | 11 |
| August | 26.5 °C | 9.8 °C | 43 mm | 9 |
| September | 22.3 °C | 5.4 °C | 30 mm | 7 |
| October | 15.1 °C | 0.5 °C | 42 mm | 10 |
| November | 7.0 °C | −4.7 °C | 27 mm | 8 |
| December | −1.2 °C | −11.6 °C | 23 mm | 10 |
June to September is ideal for Ani and the city, and December to March for skiing and the Eastern Express. In January night temperatures often fall below −20 °C; thick clothing is essential in winter. Even in summer, nights drop to around 10 °C. May and June are the wettest months, and the highland pastures are lush green at this time.
By train: The Eastern Express (Doğu Ekspresi) from Ankara reaches Kars all year round, and the Touristic Eastern Express (Turistik Doğu Ekspresi), made up of sleeper and dining cars, runs in the winter season; with long stops at Erzincan and Erzurum, the journey takes about 30 hours. Tickets sell out quickly, so book early.
By air: Kars Harakani Airport (KSY) is about 6 km from the city centre, with regular flights from Istanbul and Ankara.
By road: Kars is reached from Erzurum via Horasan and Sarıkamış (about 205 km), from Ardahan (about 90 km) and from Iğdır via Tuzluca.
Day 1 – The city centre: Take in the grid plan of the city from Kars Castle; the Church of the Apostles, Taşköprü and Evliya Mosque. In the afternoon, Fethiye Mosque, the Baltic buildings and Kars Museum; goose meat and noodle pilaf in the evening.
Day 2 – Ani: Go early in the morning to Ani for the cathedral, the Church of Tigran Honents, the Ebu’l Menüçehr Mosque and the view over the Arpaçay valley; allow at least 3 hours.
Day 3 – Sarıkamış and Boğatepe: Skiing at Sarıkamış in winter; in summer, walks in the Scots pine forests and a look at gruyère production at Boğatepe.
Kars cuisine is a product of animal husbandry and long winters. The best-known delicacy is Kars goose meat (Kars kaz eti), salted and dried as preparation for winter and cooked in a tandır oven; it received a geographical indication in 2023 and is served with Kars erişte pilavı (noodle pilaf). Kars gravyer peyniri (Kars gruyère), Kars kaşarı (kaşar cheese), Kars balı (honey), Kars ketesi (flaky pastry) and Kağızman uzun elması (Kağızman long apples) are registered. Local dishes include hangel (dumplings), piti and evelik dolması (stuffed sorrel).
Kars el halısı (hand-woven carpet) and Sümer Kars el halısı have registered geographical indications; the Kars Turkish shepherd dog and Sarıkamış obsidyen taşı (obsidian) are also registered. Kars is one of the important centres of the âşık tradition; the âşık coffeehouse of Âşık Murat Çobanoğlu in Kars is among the symbols of this tradition.
Kars province has 8 districts. Explore the places to visit, local dishes and transport in each one.
Goose meat that is salted, dried and then cooked; it received a geographical indication in 2023.
A pilaf served with goose meat, with a registered geographical indication.
A kete with a registered geographical indication.
The Kars version of mantı, served with yoghurt and butter.
The main stops are the Ani ruins, Kars Castle, the Church of the Apostles (Kümbet Mosque), Fethiye Mosque, Evliya Mosque and the Harakani Tomb, Kars Museum, the Baltic-style buildings, Sarıkamış Ski Resort and Boğatepe.
Yes. Ani was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2016.
It runs between Ankara and Kars during the winter season; the journey takes about 30 hours, with sightseeing stops at Erzincan and Erzurum.
Goose meat, gruyère and kaşar cheese, Kars honey, Ani, the Eastern Express and the Sarıkamış ski resort.
The average low in January is −16.2 °C, and night temperatures often fall below −20 °C.
June to September is ideal for Ani and the city, and December to March for skiing and the Eastern Express.
The information in this guide has been compiled from and checked against the sources below (last checked: 7 October 2026). If you spot an error, please let us know.