Kars Castle: The Basalt Citadel above Kars

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1. What is Kars Castle?
2. How do you get to Kars Castle?
3. When is the best time to visit Kars Castle?
4. What is the history of Kars Castle?
5. What is Kars Castle famous for?
6. What can you see at Kars Castle?
7. Frequently asked questions about Kars Castle
8. What do the official records say about Kars Castle?

What is Kars Castle?

Kars Castle is the fortress on the rocky hill at the north end of Kars, rising steeply above the Kars River. From the top you look down on the old Kaleiçi quarter, the stone bridge, the domed Kümbet Mosque and the grid of the Russian-era city beyond.

The inventory calls it the Central Castle or Inner Castle. What stands today is largely the Ottoman rebuilding of 1579 with later repairs: dark basalt walls and towers following the edge of the rock, an inner enclosure and, just inside the gate, the tomb of Celal Baba. It is the city’s landmark and its best viewpoint.

How do you get to Kars Castle?

The castle is in the city centre. Walk north to the river, cross Taşköprü or the road bridge into Kaleiçi, and climb the lane past the Kümbet Mosque; it is a short but steep walk. You can also drive up the stone-paved road to the entrance. Kars Harakani Airport is about 6 km from the centre.

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When is the best time to visit Kars Castle?

Late afternoon is best, when the low sun lights the city and the basalt turns warm brown. Summer evenings are mild; in winter the walls are often snow-covered and the wind on the summit is bitter, so wrap up. Combine the visit with the Kümbet Mosque and the bridge, all within a few hundred metres.

The castle is a good first stop on arrival in Kars: from the ramparts you can see how the city is laid out, with the Ottoman quarter of Kaleiçi on the north bank of the river and the straight streets of the Russian-era city to the south. Below the walls, the Beylerbeyi Palace, built by Lala Mustafa Pasha in 1579, stands at the foot of the castle hill.

What is the history of Kars Castle?

The rock was the natural strongpoint of Kars from the start. A fortress stood here under the Armenian Bagratids, who made Kars their capital in the 10th century before moving to Ani in 961, and the Seljuks under Alp Arslan took the town in 1064. In 1153 it was rebuilt by Firuz Akay for the Saltukid ruler Melik İzzeddin Saltuk II, and the outer city walls were also built in the 12th century. The inventory records that Timur levelled the castle in 1386.

In 1579, on the orders of Murad III, Lala Mustafa Pasha rebuilt the castle as part of the Ottoman reconstruction of Kars, together with the Beylerbeyi Palace at its foot and the first stone bridge. It was damaged again in the wars with the Safavids and repaired in the early 17th century. In the 19th century the fortress was at the centre of the wars between the Ottoman and Russian empires: Russian armies besieged Kars in 1828, again in 1855 during the Crimean War, and in 1877. After 1878 it was held and partly altered by the Russian army for forty years.

Celal Baba, whose tomb stands inside the main gate, is said to have died defending Kars during the Mongol invasion of 1239.

What is Kars Castle famous for?

• The panorama over Kars, the river valley and the plateau.
• Black basalt fortifications built straight onto the natural rock.
• Its place in the city’s story, from the Saltukids and Timur to the Ottoman–Russian wars.
• Events and gatherings: the castle has been used as a stage for large concerts and, in 2011, for the first Mevlevi sema ceremony held there during Ramadan.

What can you see at Kars Castle?

The walls and towers. The basalt walls follow the edge of the rock, with towers at the corners. The main gate is on the north side, facing a drop in front of the castle.

The outer defences. The basalt walls are built in layers with deep ditches in front. The outer circuit of the fortifications runs for about 3.5 km and originally had 22 watchtowers, of which seven survive intact. The inner castle measures roughly 250 m from east to west and 90 m from north to south, with four gates.

The tomb of Celal Baba. Just inside the main entrance, a small shrine visited by local people.

The inner castle. Within the walls are military buildings from the later periods, an old ammunition store and a small mosque rebuilt in the 1990s.

The view and the old town below. From the ramparts you can pick out Taşköprü, the İlbeyoğlu (Muradiye) and Mazlumağa bathhouses either side of it, the Kümbet Mosque and the Evliya Mosque. The castle has also hosted large events, including a concert by Sezen Aksu in 2005.

Frequently asked questions about Kars Castle

What do the official records say about Kars Castle?

Kars Castle, also known as the Central Castle or Inner Castle, was built in the 10th century. It was levelled to the ground by Timur in 1386 and rebuilt in 1579.

Taşköprü was built by Sultan Murad III in 1579 during the repair of the city. As the first bridge collapsed, the present bridge was built on the old piers. The palace at the foot of the castle was built in 1579 by Lala Mustafa Pasha; the two-storey building was used as the Kars government house until 1828. (Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Kars Provincial Tourism Inventory, 2002)