Kars Province
Encyclopedia
Kars Province is a province
of Turkey
, located in the northeastern part of the country. It shares part of its border with the Republic of Armenia
.
The provinces of Ardahan
and Iğdır
were until the 1990s part of Kars Province.
for centuries. For a brief period, from 1878 until 1917, it was controlled by Russia
. From 1918 to 1920 the province was under the administration of the Democratic Republic of Armenia
as the Vanand
province (with the city of Kars
as its capital). Its territory was ceded to Turkey by the Soviet Union
in the Treaty of Kars
.
(ilçe), each named after the administrative center of the district:
There are 383 villages in Kars.
n city of Ani
and the 9th century Church of the Apostles.
The Siege of Kars, 1855 is a book published by The Stationery Office, 2000, and is an account of its defence and capitulation as reported by one General Williams, one of many British officers lent to the Turkish army to lead garrisons and train regiments in the war against Russia.
Provinces of Turkey
Turkey is divided into 81 provinces, called il in Turkish .A province is administered by an appointed governor , and was formerly termed a "governorate" ....
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...
, located in the northeastern part of the country. It shares part of its border with the Republic of Armenia
Armenia
Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
.
The provinces of Ardahan
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 :...
and Iğdır
Igdir Province
Iğdır Province is a province in eastern Turkey, located along the border with Armenia, Azerbaijan , and Iran. Its adjacent provinces are Kars to the northwest and Ağrı to the west and south...
were until the 1990s part of Kars Province.
History
Kars was under the control of the Ottoman EmpireOttoman 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...
for centuries. For a brief period, from 1878 until 1917, it was controlled 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...
. From 1918 to 1920 the province was under the administration of the Democratic Republic of Armenia
Democratic Republic of Armenia
The Democratic Republic of Armenia was the first modern establishment of an Armenian state...
as the Vanand
Vanand
Vanand is the name used to describe the area of historic Armenia that roughly corresponds to the Kars Province of present-day Turkey. Named after the Armenian family of Vanandi, it was a principality of the Kingdom of Armenia and a later province of the Democratic Republic of Armenia. Its...
province (with the city of Kars
Kars
Kars is a city in northeast Turkey and the capital of Kars Province. The population of the city is 73,826 as of 2010.-Etymology:As Chorzene, the town appears in Roman historiography as part of ancient Armenia...
as its capital). Its territory was ceded to Turkey by the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
in the Treaty of Kars
Treaty of Kars
The Treaty of Kars was a "friendship" treaty signed in Kars on October 13, 1921 and ratified in Yerevan on September 11 1922.Signatories included representatives from the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, which in 1923 would declare the Republic of Turkey, and also from Soviet Armenia, Soviet...
.
Districts
Kars province is divided into 8 districtsDistricts of Turkey
The 81 provinces of Turkey are divided into 957 districts . In the early Turkish Republic and in the Ottoman Empire, the corresponding unit was the kaza....
(ilçe), each named after the administrative center of the district:
- Akyaka
- ArpaçayArpaçayArpaçay is a town and a district of Kars Province in the Eastern Anatolia region of Turkey. The population is 2,503 as of 2010. The mayor is Enver Akkaya ....
- DigorDigor, KarsDigor is a district of Kars Province in the Eastern Anatolia region of Turkey, and the name of the small town that is the district's administrative capital. The population of the town is 2,647. The mayor is Muzaffer Kutay .-External links:*...
- KağızmanKagizmanKağızman is a town and district of Kars Province in the Eastern Anatolia region of Turkey. The population is 17,144 as of 2010. The mayor is Mehmet Alkan.-References:...
- KarsKarsKars is a city in northeast Turkey and the capital of Kars Province. The population of the city is 73,826 as of 2010.-Etymology:As Chorzene, the town appears in Roman historiography as part of ancient Armenia...
- SarıkamışSarıkamışSarıkamış is a town and a district of Kars Province in the Eastern Anatolia region of Turkey. The population is 17,860 as of 2010.The town sits in a valley and is surrounded by mountains, many of which are covered with pine forests. It has very long winters, with average of 7–8 ft of...
- SelimSelim, KarsSelim is a town and a district of Kars Province in the Eastern Anatolia region of Turkey. The population is 4,781 as of 2010. The mayor is Mühittin Yücel ....
- SusuzSusuzSusuz is a town and a district of Kars Province in the Eastern Anatolia region of Turkey. The population is 2,448 as of 2010.The mayor is Ali Yeğin ....
There are 383 villages in Kars.
Kars nature, wildlife and ecotourism
Kars has a wealth of wildlife that is being documented by the Kars-Igdir Biodiversity Project run by the KuzeyDoga Society. The project has recorded 321 of Turkey's 465 bird species in the region. At least 214 of these occur at Kuyucuk Lake, that is the most important wetland in the province. Sarikamis Forests in the south harbor wolves, brown bear, lynx and other animals, and Aras (Araxes) River wetlands comprise a key stop-over site for many migrating birds. Aras River Bird Research and Education Center at Yukari Ciyrikli village has recorded 218 bird species at this single location alone.Monuments
Kars contains numerous monuments, the most notable being the ruined ArmeniaArmenia
Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
n city of Ani
Ani
Ani is a ruined and uninhabited medieval Armenian city-site situated in the Turkish province of Kars, near the border with Armenia. It was once the capital of a medieval Armenian kingdom that covered much of present day Armenia and eastern Turkey...
and the 9th century Church of the Apostles.
In popular culture
Kars was also the setting for the popular novel Snow by Orhan Pamuk.The Siege of Kars, 1855 is a book published by The Stationery Office, 2000, and is an account of its defence and capitulation as reported by one General Williams, one of many British officers lent to the Turkish army to lead garrisons and train regiments in the war against Russia.