Kars

KARS

Kars, situated on the eastern borders of the Ottoman Empire, was the first occupied by Russians in 1828-1830.Abdullatif Pasha, who was appointed governor of this sancak in 1853, took his 13 year old grandson Namik Kemal with him when he travelled to take up his post. This young boy, destined to become of Turkey's most celebrated nineteenth century poets, was greatly influenced by his stay in a city so distant and so different from Istanbul. The city was occupied by Russia for five months in 1856, and again in 1877, this time for 41 years.

During the Caucisian campaign of Murad II (1574-1595), the city's walls were rebuilt. Evliya Mosque was also constructed during this period. Travellers remarked that the walls of the city were well built, that there was a castle within the walls, which in some places consisted of five parallel ramparts. Iron gates led into the city. They noted the shrines within the town, and described the pasha sarayi or residence of the governor, and the Seljuk period kervansaray. Tavernier visited Kars twice, in 1632 and 1635, and writes the city was situated on fertile soil.

"The city is large and abundantly supplied with the meat and drink. Despite this the population is small. The Ottoman goverment has made this place a headquarters for its army, and therefore places importance on its security and administration. Although attempts have been made to encourage people from all over the country settle here, the sultan of Persia reduced Kars and its surrondings to ruins in 1604."

Tournefort arrived in 1701 from Erzurum. His description of Kars is illustrated by engraving of both city and the ruins of nearby Armenian city of Ani.

"Like Erzurum, it (Kars) is situated at the junction of plain and a mountain. The Kars river flows nearby. Kars is Turkey's furthest extremity, beyond which the land of Persia, known to people here as Acemistan, and begins. The customs of Erzurum are practiced here, too. "

Despite warnings from local officials about the danger of robbers, Tournefort travelled to nearby Catak to see the antiquities there.