Erzurum

An ancient eastern Anatolian city at nearly 1,900 m, lined with Seljuk twin-minaret madrasas, with Palandöken, one of Türkiye's top ski resorts, on its doorstep.

Erzurum is the largest city in eastern Anatolia and capital of the province of the same name, with a population of around 770,000. It lies in a highland basin about 1,900 m above sea level, backed to the south by Mount Palandöken. Since ancient times it has been a key Silk Road junction on the routes to Iran and the Caucasus; the Byzantines called it Theodosiopolis, and from the 11th century it passed to the Seljuks and the Saltukids, who left the greatest concentration of Seljuk architecture in eastern Türkiye: the Twin Minaret Madrasa, the Yakutiye Madrasa, the Three Tombs and the Grand Mosque are all within a 10-minute walk of each other in the old centre. In 1919 Atatürk convened the Erzurum Congress here, and the city has a Congress museum and Atatürk's house. The climate is harshly continental: winters are long, with January averaging about −10°C, and from December to April the two big ski resorts, Palandöken and Konaklı, have excellent snow. Summers are cool and dry; June to September is best for sightseeing and for trips about 100 km north to Tortum Waterfall, Lake Tortum and the old Georgian monasteries of Oshki and Khakhuli, and you can also fit in the red fairy chimneys of Narman to the northeast. Getting there: Erzurum Airport is about 10 km from the centre, with several daily direct flights from Istanbul and Ankara, and the Eastern Express railway stops here. The old town is walkable, but sights outside the city require a private car or self-drive. Plan 2–3 days, plus extra time for skiing. Don't miss cağ kebabı, and Oltu stone (Oltu taşı), a black jet, is the signature local craft.

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