Göle is a small city and surrounding district in Ardahan Province

Ardahan Province

Ardahan Province is a province in the far north-east of Turkey, at the very end of the country, where Turkey borders with Georgia . The provincial capital is the city of Ardahan.- Geography :...

 of Turkey

Turkey

Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...

. The city was formerly known as Merdenik, Merdinik or Ardahan-ı Küçük (Little Ardahan in Ottoman Turkish).

Göle is a rural district, 80% of the area is mountain and forest with the remainder grazing land and meadow; the local economy depends on this grazing. Göle is famous for its yellow kaşar cheese. Some crops are grown, including grains and potatoes. With the high Allahuekber mountains to the south Göle is exposed to the north; winters are eight months long and extremely cold (minus 30 Celsius is quite normal), summer is one month of dry weather.

History

Part of the Ottoman Empire

Ottoman Empire

The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...

 from 1561, Göle was briefly occupied by Russia

Russia

Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...

 in the late 19th century and again during the First World War, finally becoming part of the Republic of Turkey on September 30, 1920 after Armenian occupation between 1919-1920.

There are a number of places of interest to visitors, including the tomb and mosque in the village of Dedeşen and the castles of Kalecik

Kalecik

Kalecik is a town and district of Ankara Province in the Central Anatolia region of Turkey. According to 2010 census, population of the district is 14,517 of which 9,450 live in the town of Kalecik...

 and Ugurtaşı.

Villages of Göle district

• Çullu
• Karlıyazı (Kirziyan)
• Serinçayır (Çölpenek)
• Çardaklı
• Okçu köyü
• Durucasu
• Senemoğlu
• Dereyolu (Salot)
• Çakırüzüm (Mızarat)
• Dengeli (Abur)
• Yiğitkonağı (Türkeşen)
• Çalıdere (Mihgerek)
• Durançam (Hımıskar)
• Dedeşen
• Ağılylu (Arpaşen)
• Büyük Altunbulak
• Budaklı (Cicor)
• Yeniköy
• Yeni Demirkapı
• Yanatlı (Varginis)
• Yavuzlar (Üçkilise)
• Bellitepe (Urut)
• Toptaş
• Tellioğlu
• Kuytuca (Şekki)
• Filizli (Sivin)
• Damlasu (Sasadel)
• Yeleçli (Samzelek)
• Kayaaltı (Poladik)
• Dölekçayır (Pilemor)
• Çakıldere (Orakilise)
• Meşedibi (Morofka)
• Mollahasan
• Balçeşme (Lelevarginis)
• Gedik (Lavustan)
• Küçük Altunbulak
• Kuzupınar (Konk)
• Günorta (Kızılkilise)
• Esenboğaz (Kelpikor)
• Dedekılıç (Kaşar)
• Hoştülbent
• Çayırbaşı (Hokam)
• Samandöken (Sinot)
• Sürügüden (Heve)