Kars Province, Administrative province in northeastern Turkey
Kars Province covers a mountainous area in northeastern Turkey, bordering Armenia and featuring several mountain ranges and plateaus. The landscape consists of wide pastures, forests, and river valleys that shape the relief and create different climate zones.
The administrative division was formed after the Russo-Turkish War in the late 19th century as Ottoman territory, following centuries of changing control between different empires. The current border was set after World War I, when the territory was assigned to the Turkish Republic.
The name of this administrative division comes from its main city, once an Armenian center that today brings together traces of different cultures. Visitors see fortress ruins and stone bridges that speak of changing rule, while farmers still raise livestock and tend pastures in traditional ways.
Travelers reach the different districts of the region via overland roads that cross mountain passes and plateaus, offering varying conditions depending on the season. In winter, some higher areas become hard to access, while the rest of the year roads remain mostly passable.
The vast conifer forests in Sarıkamış district are among the few places in Turkey where visitors can spot tracks in the snow left by larger mammals during winter. In spring, Lake Kuyucuk turns into a stopover for migratory birds coming from Africa and South Asia, often resting by the hundreds along its shores.
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