Kars & Ani

Kars sits on a high plateau at 1,768 metres elevation in Turkey’s far northeast, about 45 kilometres from the Armenian border. The city has a layered history that reflects its position at a cultural and geopolitical crossroads: an Armenian fortress, an Ottoman garrison, and then — between 1878 and 1918 — a Russian imperial city, whose grid-plan streets and Baltic-style stone buildings distinguish Kars from any other Turkish city. The writer Orhan Pamuk set his novel Snow here, drawn by the city’s atmospheric melancholy.

But the primary reason most travellers come to Kars is Ani — the ruined medieval Armenian capital, about 45 kilometres to the east, perched on the edge of the Arpaçay gorge that now forms the Turkish-Armenian border. At its peak in the 11th century, Ani was a city of 100,000 people with churches, mosques, palaces, and defensive walls. It was called “the city of 1,001 churches.” Today it is one of the most evocative archaeological sites in Turkey — a UNESCO World Heritage Site (since 2016) where the remains of a once-great civilisation stand in open steppe against the sky.

When to Visit

Summer (May through September) is the usable visiting season. Kars and Ani sit at high altitude on an exposed plateau; winters are among the harshest in Turkey (temperatures regularly drop below -20°C, with heavy snowfall from November through April). Even in summer, mornings and evenings are cool. The long daylight hours of June and July give the most time at Ani.

How to Get There

Kars Harakani Airport (KSY) receives daily flights from Istanbul and Ankara. The Doğu Ekspresi (Eastern Express) train from Ankara to Kars has become one of Turkey’s most popular rail journeys — the 24-hour ride crosses the entire Anatolian plateau. Intercity buses connect Kars to Erzurum (about 3 hours) and Doğubayazıt (about 4 hours). Ani is reached by car from Kars in about 45 minutes on a paved road. There is no regular public transport to Ani; taxis can be arranged in Kars.

What to See

Ani — The City

The walled ruins cover roughly 78 hectares of grassland at the edge of the Arpaçay gorge. The massive double walls (built by the Bagratid Armenian king Smbat II around 980 CE) still stand along the north and west perimeters, pierced by the Aslan Kapısı (Lion Gate).

Ani Cathedral (Cathedral of the Holy Mother of God)

Built between 989 and 1010 CE by the architect Trdat — the same architect who repaired the dome of Hagia Sophia in Istanbul — the cathedral is a masterwork of Armenian ecclesiastic architecture. Pointed arches, clustered piers, and a sophisticated structural system anticipate Gothic architecture by over a century. The cathedral’s walls still stand to nearly their full height, though the dome collapsed long ago.

Church of the Redeemer (Surp Prkich)

This circular church, built around 1035 CE, was split in half by lightning in 1957. One half remains standing; the other lies in a rubble field at its base. The surviving half — a precise cross-section of the building’s interior — reveals the construction technique and decorative stonework with an almost anatomical clarity.

Church of Saint Gregory (Tigran Honents)

Near the gorge edge, this 13th-century church preserves the best-surviving frescoes at Ani — interior wall paintings depicting the life of Christ, the life of Saint Gregory the Illuminator (who converted Armenia to Christianity in 301 CE), and scenes from the Book of Genesis. The fresco programme is among the most complete surviving cycles of Armenian medieval painting.

Menüçehr Mosque

Built in the 11th or 12th century, this is one of the first mosques built in Anatolia by the Seljuk Turks. Its location at the gorge edge, supported by a substructure visible from below, gives it a dramatic profile. The octagonal minaret and the prayer hall’s pointed arches share structural elements with the Armenian churches nearby.

Kars City

In Kars itself, the Russian-era street plan and stone buildings give the city a distinct character. The Kars Castle (originally Armenian, rebuilt by the Ottomans) overlooks the city and the Kars Çay river. The Cheese Market (Peynirciler Çarşısı) sells regional Kars gruyère and Kars kaşar — cheeses influenced by the Russian and Georgian dairy traditions. The Kars Museum holds archaeological finds from Ani and the surrounding area.

Practical Information

Ani requires about two to three hours on site. The terrain is open, with walking paths between the monuments. Entry is ticketed. There are no facilities at Ani — bring water and snacks. Kars city has a range of hotels and restaurants serving eastern Turkish cuisine and the local speciality kaz (preserved goose). Combine Kars and Ani in a single day, or use Kars as a base for two days to include the Çıldır Lake ice fishing experience (winter) or the Sarıkamış ski area.

One Thing Most Visitors Miss

In the gorge below the main plateau, accessible by a steep path from near the Church of Saint Gregory, a small cave church with surviving frescoes sits at the river level. Few visitors descend to it, and the perspective it provides — looking up at the city walls and churches from below — reverses the usual viewpoint. From down there, the scale of what was built along the gorge edge becomes fully apparent.

Ani was abandoned, not destroyed. The silence is part of the architecture.