Things to Do in Arpaçay: 5 Places to Visit

Places to Visit in Arpaçay

• 2 Historic
• 2 Nature
• 1 Attraction

i Photo: Münir doğru (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Source

1 🌳 Nature

Arpaçay River Valley

A valley shaped by the Arpaçay river.

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i Photo: Hansm (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Source

2 🏛️ Historic

Ani Ruins (nearby)

The ancient city of Ani, near the Arpaçay border, was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2016. Capital of the Bagratid Armenian Kingdom in the 10th and 11th centuries, Ani was known as the "City of a Thousand and One Churches" with a population of 100,000.

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3 🏛️ Historic

Arpaçay Castle

Castle ruins near the district centre, dating from the Seljuk period. Their architectural features and historical importance add to the region's cultural richness.

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4 🌳 Nature

Kuyucuk Bird Sanctuary (Kuyucuk Lake)

A lake in Kuyucuk village, part of Arpaçay district.

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5 📸 Attraction

Arpaçay Log House

A facility on the shore of Çıldır Lake, in Çanaksu village, Arpaçay.

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While you are in Arpaçay, you can also see the highlights of Kars province. These places are in other districts.

• Ani Ruins — 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.
• Ebu'l Menüçehr Mosque (Ani) — 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.
• Kars Castle — 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.
• Church of the Apostles (Kümbet Mosque) — 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.
• Fethiye Mosque — 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.
• Kars Museum — 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.

Practical Information for Visiting Arpaçay

Suggested time

1 day (including Ani)

Best time to visit

Summer months (June–September)

Places to visit

5 places

• 🧀

  Kars Kaşarı

  Kaşar cheese produced on the plateaus of Arpaçay, one of the finer varieties of Kars kaşarı.

• 🍗

  Kaz Eti

  Goose meat traditionally eaten in the winter months, cooked in an oven or tandır.

Culture, Local Products and Economy of Arpaçay

• 🏛️

  Ani Civilisation Heritage

  Arpaçay has historical importance because of its proximity to the UNESCO World Heritage site of the ancient city of Ani. The region has been home to the Urartian, Bagratid and Seljuk civilisations.

Local Products

• Arpaçay Kaşarı — Kaşar cheese produced on Arpaçay's high plateaus, made using traditional methods.

Economy

Arpaçay's economy rests on livestock farming and agriculture. Dairy production and grain cultivation are the main sources of livelihood.

How to Get to Arpaçay

Arpaçay is 45 km from Kars. Minibus services run from Kars.

Get directions on Google Maps Getting to Kars

Arpaçay: Frequently Asked Questions

Continue Your Trip

• 🍽️ What to Eat in Arpaçay Famous dishes and local products →
• 🗺️ Things to Do in Kars The province's 11 best places and all its districts →

Other Districts of Kars

• Kars Central District 9 places Kars Castle, Church of the Apostles and Fethiye Mosque
• Akyaka 4 places Akyaka Castle, Akyaka Plateaus and Akyaka Border Gate
• Digor 4 places Digor Valley, Digor Castle and Digor Historic Bridge
• Kağızman 8 places Aras River Valley, Keçivan Castle and Narin Castle
• Sarıkamış 6 places Sarıkamış Ski Resort, Sarıkamış Forests and Tsar Nicholas Pavilion
• Selim 4 places Selim Caravanserai, Selim Castle and Selim Plateaus
• Susuz 3 places Susuz Castle, Susuz Plateaus and Aygır Lake