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Ardahan information, Turkey

Ardahan, previously the town of the province of Kars, is a newly-made province of Turkey in the Eastern Anatolian Region. Situated on a flatland, this humble little city is a lovely spot where beautiful natural surroundings go hand in hand with historical sites that recall civilizations dating far back to antiquity.

The most important monumental figure in this city is the ancient fortress of Ardahan Kalesi, which carries the same name of the city. The fortress was built by the Seljuks and occupied later by the Ottomans. Other castles of importance include the Kazan, , Seytan, Kurt, Sevimli, Cak, Savasir, Mere, Kol, Kirnak, Olcev, Dedesen, Karakale, Kislahanak, and Hanak, Altas, Kinzi and Kalecik. The oldest written document found in this city is a stone inscription from Urartu’s nearby Cildir lake. History says that the Cimmerians settled in this area around 700 BC and in the 11th century, the town was taken under the rule of the Seljuk Sultan Alparslan. The Ottomans came much later, in 1551.

Ardahan’s economy depends mostly on raising livestock and farming. Carpet and Kilim weaving are also important industries in this area. Young girls, especially, are taught this traditional arts and crafts early on. There are also many lakes found in this region, including the Cildir lake which is the second biggest in the whole region, at an altitude of about 2,000 meters above sea level.

Ardahan was a district in the province of Kars, until it became a province in its own right in 1993. Although this meant more investment in the city for infrastructure and development, this city is yet to boom. Thankfully, the construction of the Baku-Tiblisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline managed to give the local economy a brief boost.

One of its attractions is a skiing track in Ugurludag in Yalnizcam village, about 10 kilometers from the center of the city. Thanks to the climate, locals and guests can go skiing for half of the year. Ardahan’s altitude temperatures can reach about -20 below zero right up until the month of May. Ethnic groups in the region are the Georgians, Kurds and the Azeri Turkish people.

Despite being a rather provincial town, many festivals are still organized and celebrated around the city. This includes the Honey Festival, which is celebrated at the beginning of August, the Yellow Cheese festival, held in the beginning of July and the Cildir Lake Festival which is held in Spring. Ardahan is renowned in Turkey for its hard yellow cheese and its geese. Other celebrations include Freedom Day, held every February 23, Commemoration days for the Canakkale Victory and Air Force Martyrs, and Seljuk Conquest of Ardahan and the Ram Introduction.

Hotels have also sprung up, mainly to cater to truck drivers and other travelers crossing over to Georgia. The Kars Kafkas University also instituted a building in Ardahan. There is a sizable military presence in the area, with civil servants, military officers and academics stationed to help develop the local economy. This population has their own guest houses, clubs as well as a few social and cultural amenities such as cake shops and kebab restaurants.

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