:
Theodosiopolis redirects here; it is also a name of the ancient city of Apros, Thrace.Erzurum (,
Karin, also Կարնո քաղաք,
Karno K'aghak',
Karin City; ,
Theodosiopolis) is a
city in
eastern Anatolia,
Turkey. The name "Erzurum" derives from "Arz-u Rûm" (literally
The Land of the Romans in
Arabic, using a
Persian pronunciation). To Arabs the city was known as
Ḳālīḳalā (adopted from the Armenian name Karno K'aghak'),
[Inalcik, Halil. "Erzurum". Encyclopedia of Islam. vol. ii. P. Bearman et al. (eds.) Leiden: Brill, 1965, p. 712.] until the city was retaken by the Byzantines under Emperor
Basil II. The town was known in Roman and subsequently Byzantine times as
Theodosiopolis, acquiring its present name after its conquest by the
Seljuk Turks following the
Battle of Manzikert in 1071.
Erzurum had a population of 361,235 in the 2000 census. It is the capital of
Erzurum Province, the largest province in Turkey's
Eastern Anatolia Region. The city is situated 1757 meters (5766 feet) above sea level and has an extreme
continental climate with an average January temperature of . Temperatures often drop below in the winter and sometimes experience heavy snowfall.
Erzurum, known as "The Rock" in
NATO code, has served as NATO's southeastern-most air force post during the
Cold War. The city uses the double-headed
Anatolian Seljuk Eagle as its coat-of-arms, a motif based on the double-headed
Byzantine Eagle that was a common symbol throughout Anatolia and the Balkans in the medieval period.
History
Early history
In ancient times Erzurum existed under the name of Karin. During the reigns of the
Artaxiad and
Arsacid kings of
Armenia, Karin served as the capital of the region of
Karin. After the partition of Armenia between the
Roman Empire and
Sassanid Persia in 387 A.D., the city passed into the hands of the Romans. They fortified the city and renamed it Theodosiopolis, after Emperor
Theodosius II.
As the chief military stronghold along the eastern border of the empire, Theodosiopolis held a highly important strategic location and was fiercely contested in wars between the Byzantines and Persians. Emperors
Anastasius I and
Justinian I both refortified the city and built new defenses during their reigns.
Theodosiopolis was conquered by the Arabs in the seventh century. It became the capital of the emirate of Kalikala and was used as a base for raids into Byzantine territory. Though only an island of Arab power within Christian Armenian-populated territory, the native population was generally a reliable client of the Caliph's governors. As the power of the Caliphate declined, and the resurgence of Byzantium began, the local Armenian leaders preferred the city to be under the control of powerless Muslim emirs rather than powerful Byzantine emperors.
In 931, and again in 949, Byzantine forces led by
Theophilos Kourkouas, grandfather of the future emperor
John I Tzimiskes, captured Theodosiopolis. Its Arab population was expelled and the city was resettled by Greeks and Armenians. Emperor
Basil II rebuilt the city and its defenses in 1018 with the help of the local Armenian population. In 1071, after the decisive battle at
Manzikert, the
Seljuk Turks took possession of Theodosiopolis. The
Saltuklus were rulers of an
Anatolian Turkish Beylik (principality) centered in Erzurum, who ruled from 1071 to 1202.
Melike Mama Hatun, sister of Nâsırüddin Muhammed, was the ruler between 1191 and 1200. The city passed hands several times in the following centuries until coming under
Ottoman rule in 1514.
Modern history
Photograph showing Armenian victims of a massacre in Erzurum on October 30, 1895 gathered for burial in a mass grave.
of July 23, 1919; an important milestone of the
Turkish War of Independence.]]
The city was captured by
Russia in 1829, but was returned to the Ottoman Empire under the
Treaty of Adrianople (Edirne). During the
Crimean war Russian forces approached Erzurum, but did not attack it because of insufficient forces and the continuing Russian siege of
Kars. The city was attacked and, after overcoming strong resistance, captured by a Russian army in the
Russo-Turkish War of 1877-78. Again it was returned to the Ottoman Empire, this time under the
Treaty of San Stefano. There were massacres of the city's Armenian citizens during the
Hamidian massacres (1894-1896).
The city was the location of
one of the key battles in the
Caucasus Campaign of
World War I between the armies of the
Ottoman and
Russian Empires which resulted in capture of Erzurum by Russian forces under the command of
Grand Duke Nicholas and
Nikolai Nikolaevich Yudenich on
February 16,
1916. Erzurum was also a major deportation center during the
Armenian Genocide in 1915. Prior to the war, the city had a vibrant Armenian community with numerous schools and served as the provincial residence of the Archbishop of the
Armenian Apostolic Church. By the time the Russians entered it in 1916, barely a hundred Armenians were still alive, out of a prewar population of 20,000. The deportation route for the
Armenians of Erzurum and neighboring areas in eastern
Anatolia went through the city of Harput.
Erzurum was returned to the Ottomans officially with the
Treaty of Brest-Litovsk in March 1918.
Photograph showing Turkish women and children killed by Armenians in Erzurum in 1918.
, one of the founders of the modern
Turkish Republic, resigned from the Ottoman Army in Erzurum, and was declared the "Honorary Native" and the freeman of the city, which issued him his first citizenship registration and certificate (Nüfus Cuzdanı) of the new Turkish Republic. The
Erzurum Congress of 1919 was one of the starting points of the
Turkish War of Independence.
Economy
thumb|200px|[[Palandöken Mountain|Palandöken skiing resort in Erzurum.]]
thumb|200px|Folkloric dance of Erzurum.One of the largest source of income and economic activity in the city has been
Atatürk University. Established in 1950, it is one of the largest universities in Turkey, having more than forty-thousand students. Tourism also provides a portion of the province's revenues. The city is a popular destination in Turkey for
winter sports at the nearby
Palandöken Mountain.
Erzurum is notable for the small-scale production of objects crafted from Oltu stone: most are sold as souvenirs and include prayer beads, bracelets, necklaces, brooches, earrings and hairclips.
For now, Erzurum is the ending point of the
South Caucasus Pipeline, also called the
Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum (BTE) pipeline. Erzurum will also be the starting point of the planned
Nabucco pipeline which will carry
natural gas from the
Caspian Sea basin to the
European Union member states. The intergovernmental agreement between Turkey,
Romania,
Bulgaria,
Hungary and
Austria to build the Nabucco pipeline was signed by five Prime Ministers on in Ankara.
The European Union was represented at the ceremony by the
President of the European Commission Jose Manuel Barroso and the
Commissioner for Energy Andris Piebalgs, while the
United States was represented by the
Special Envoy for Eurasian Energy Richard Morningstar and the
Ranking Member of the
United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations Senator Richard Lugar.
Tourism
Little of medieval Erzurum survives beyond scattered individual buildings such as the citadel fortress, and the 13th century
Çifte Minareli Medrese (the "Twin Minaret" madrasa).
Six kilometres to the south of the center of Erzurum is an important
skiing center on the
Palandöken Mountain range. There are several ski runs; the south ski run is 8 km long, while the north ski run is intended for advanced skiers. The summit of Mt. Palandöken, which is called
Büyük Ejder (Great Dragon), is at an altitude of 3188 metres. It can be reached with a chair lift which rises until an altitude of 3100 metres.
The 25th World Winter Games,
2011 Winter Universiade, of the International University Sports Federation (FISU) will be held in Erzurum.
Cuisine
One specialty of Erzurum's cuisine is
Cağ Kebab. Although this
kebab variety is of recent introduction outside its native region, it is rapidly attaining widespread popularity around Turkey.
Kadayıf Dolması is an exquisite dessert made with walnut.
Transport
The main bus station has bus links to most major Turkish cities. Erzurum is also the main railroad endpoint for the Eastern Anatolia region.
Erzurum Airport, also used by the
Turkish Air Force, has the second longest runway in Turkey.
Notable natives
- Arif Sağ, Turkish singer, bağlama virtuoso
- Vartkes Serengülian, ethnic Armenian deputy in the Ottoman parliament from 1908-1915 representing Erzurum.
