Kars Cheese Museum

Kars Cheese Museum, opened to the public in 2022 as Türkiye’s first thematic cheese museum and recognized as the world’s largest cheese museum. The building housing the museum is the historic Cavalry Barracks, constructed in 1734 to defend against potential border threats from the south of Kars. This historical structure has been restored and repurposed as a cheese museum to enhance tourism.

Historical and Touristic Features

The Kars Cheese Museum is located along the “Kars Cheese Route,” a route established under the “Future of Tourism Project,” a collaborative initiative by the United Nations Development Programme, Anadolu Efes, and the Türkiye Ministry of Culture and Tourism. Recognized as the 18th cheese route in the world, this route has become a destination for cheese enthusiasts.

Kars Cheese Museum (Anadolu Agency)

Structural and Thematic Elements

The museum covers a total area of 5,000 square meters and offers 1,100 square meters of accessible space for visitors. The cheese museum features several distinct sections:

• Graviera Production Hall and Cheese Rooms: Live demonstrations of the cheese-making process for various cheese varieties.
• Stable Section and Local Lifestyle Areas: Exhibits showcasing livestock raised on Kars highlands, fed on endemic plants native to the region.
• Kars and Ankara Stations: A simulated journey along the Eastern Express from Kars Station to Ankara Gazi Station.
• Kars Baltic Architecture and Ottoman Houses: Displays highlighting Kars’ historical urban fabric and architectural heritage.

Kars Cheese Museum (Anadolu Agency)

Exhibited Cheeses and Gastronomy

The Kars Cheese Museum showcases geographically designated cheeses unique to Kars, including the renowned Graviera cheese, as well as:

• Karın Kaymağı
• Çeçil Cheese
• Kars Yağlı Tulumu
• Kaşar Loru
• Türkmen Saçak Cheese
• Kaşar Örgüsü
• Deve Dili

The museum also includes sections presenting recipes using cheese, workshops, and retail areas for cheese sales.

Visitor Potential

Since its opening, the museum has attracted significant interest from both domestic and international tourists, reaching 75,000 visitors in 2023. Interest has been especially high during summer months, when tourists arrive in caravans.