Kars (Province)

Kars is a province located in the northeast of Türkiye, within the East Anatolia Region’s Erzurum-Kars division. Throughout history, city has come under the control of various civilizations and during the Ottoman period became a military center. In the 19th century, it emerged as one of the central theaters of the Ottoman-Russian wars.

Kars - TRT Haber

History

Ancient and Medieval Periods

According to archaeological research, the history of Kars extends back to the Paleolithic Stone Age. Findings from the region’s mounds and stone tools date to the Paleolithic and Chalcolithic periods. The Urartians dominated the region in the 9th century BCE, after which it was invaded by the Cimmerians and Scythians. Region Subsequently, it came under the rule of the Medes, Persians, Parthians and the Roman Empire. During the Byzantine-Sasanian conflicts, Kars frequently changed hands until it was conquered in 1064 by Seljuks.

Following the Mongol invasions of the 13th century, Kars passed under the control of the Ilkhanids, Kara Koyunlu, Akkoyunlu and Safavids. In the 16th century, it was incorporated into the territories of the Ottoman Empire.

Ottoman and Russian Rule

During the Ottoman period, Kars gained strategic importance as a military importance and became one of the key fronts in the Ottoman-Russian wars of the 19th century. In the 1855 Ottoman-Russian War, the defense mounted by the people of Kars and the Ottoman army resulted in a significant Ottoman victory, for which Kars was granted the title “Gazi”.

After the 1877–1878 Ottoman-Russian War, Kars remained under Russian administration for 40 years, during which new urban development projects were undertaken. Following the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution, Kars was first occupied by the British and then by the Armenians.

Republican Era

On 30 October 1920, the Turkish army recaptured Kars. Through the Treaty of Moscow on 16 March 1921 and the Treaty of Kars on 13 October 1921, Kars was officially recognized internationally as part of Türkiye. After the proclamation of the Republic, it attained provincial status and has continued to serve as an administrative center.

Kars Selimiye Camii - AA

Geography

Location and Area

Kars is situated in the northeast of the Eastern Anatolia Region. It is bordered by Ardahan to the north, Armenia to the east, Iğdır and Ağrı to the south, and Erzurum to the west. The province covers an area of 10,193 km².

Climate

Kars experiences a harsh land climate. Winters are long and cold, while summers are short and cool. In Winter months, temperatures can drop as low as -39°C and snow cover may remain on the ground for up to 120 day.

Vegetation

The vegetation of Kars is predominantly steppe. Pine forests are found around Sarıkamış. The high plateaus of the region are covered with grasslands and are suitable for animal husbandry.

Mountains and Plains

Important elevations in Kars include the Allahuekber Mountains, Kısır Mountain, Akbaba Mountain and Aladağ. The Kars Plain is one of the province’s largest agricultural areas and holds significant importance for agricultural production.

Rivers and Lakes

The major rivers in the province are the Aras River, Arpaçay and Kars River. The principal lakes are Çıldır Lake, Aygır Lake and Karzak Lake.

Economy

Agriculture and Livestock

Economic activities in Kars are largely based on agriculture and livestock farming. Wheat, barley and sugar beet are the main agricultural products. Livestock farming plays a vital role in the provincial economy, particularly large-scale animal husbandry. The province produces Kars Kaşarı and Gravyer Cheese, which are well known throughout Türkiye.

Industry and Trade

The Industry sector is limited, and existing industrial facilities are primarily food enterprises based on agriculture and livestock. The Kars Organized Industrial Zone was established to to develop the province’s industrial infrastructure.

Tourism

Kars has significant tourism potential due to its historical structures and natural beauty. The Archaeological Site of Ani is a major cultural heritage site. The Sarıkamış Ski Center is evaluated for winter tourism.

Sarıkamış Ski Center - TRT Haber

Population and Demographics

According to TÜİK data, the population of Kars in 2024 was determined to be 272,300. Of this population, 52.84% live in urban areas and 47.16% in rural areas. In recent years, the population has been decreasing due to migration population.

Population distribution by district:

1. Center: 120,948 people
2. Kağızman: 43,331 people
3. Sarıkamış: 36,293 people
4. Arpaçay: 14,143 people
5. Digor: 18,528 people
6. Selim: 20,725 people
7. Susuz: 8,639 people
8. Akyaka: 9,693 people

The population decline due to migration is affecting the province’s economic and social structure.

Administration

Governor

Kars is administered by a governor appointed by the central government. As of 2024, the Governor of Kars is Ziya Polat. The governors who have served in the city from the past to the present are:

• Hasan Faiz Ergün (1923–1924)
• Süleyman Sami Kepenek (1924)
• İbrahim Etem Aykut (1924–1926)
• Ahmet Şefik Bey (1926–1927)
• Nazif Ergünbay (1926–1927)
• Salih Selim Gündoğan (1931–1935)
• Ahmet Cevdet Eroğlu (1935–1939)
• Akif İyidoğan (1939–1940)
• Cevat Ekmen (1941–1943)
• Mehmet Hudai Karabatan (1943–1945)
• Ahmet İhsan Aksoy (1943–1945)
• Tahir Barlas (1945–1949)
• Esat Onat (1949–1950)
• Rıfat Bingöl (1950–1951)
• Fevzi Tugay (1951–1953)
• Niyazi Akı (1953–1954)
• Hadii Uçar (1954–1955)
• Muhlis Babaoğlu (1955–1957)
• Asım Büyüklü (1957–1960)
• Hilmi Dağcıoğlu (1960–1961)
• Necdet Basan (1961)
• Lütfü Hancıoğlu (1961–1962)
• Fikret Erşanlı (1962–1964)
• Ziya Kasnakoğlu (1964–1966)
• Tahir Gecega (1966–1968)
• Yusuf Ziya Eroğlu (1968–1970)
• Münir Raif Güney (1970–1972)
• Orhan Erbuğ (1972–1974)
• Alaattin Hüsnü Özpiker (1974–1975)
• Orhan Pirler (1975–1977)
• Ahmet Başsoy (1977–1978)
• Kemal Şenol (1978–1979)
• Peyzi Basan (1979–1980)
• Ünal Özgödek (1980–1982)
• Muhittin Kesgin (1982–1985)
• Hakkı Borataş (1985–1988)
• Hasan Pakir (1988–1991)
• Özdemir Hanoğlu (1991)
• Sıtkı Aslan (1992–1993)
• Hüseyin Atak (1993–1999)
• Nevzat Turhan (1999–2006)
• Ahmet Kara (2009–2012)
• Günay Özdemir (2014–2016)
• Rahmi Doğan (2016–2018)
• Türker Öksüz (2018–2023)
• Ziya Polat (2023–Present)

Municipality

The Kars Municipality Presidency is currently led by as of 2024 Ötüken Senger. The mayors who have served in the city from the past to the present are:

• Akif Çiçek (1920–1922)
• Cihangirzade İbrahim Bey (1921–1927)
• H. Kurban Yurtsever (1930–1931)
• İbrahim Cihangiroğlu (1931–1932)
• Hayrullah Dağlı (1932–1933)
• Hüseyin Han Tanınlı (1933)
• Mehmet Bahadır (1942–1946)
• Tahir Barlas (1946–1950)
• Nevruz Gündoğdu (1950–1953)
• Baki Gündoğdu (1953–1954)
• Tanrıverdi Gökçay (1953–1954)
• İsmail Hakkı Alaca (1955–1957)
• Yusuf Ergüç (1958–1960)
• Arif Taşçı (1963–1970)
• Turan Çelebi (1970–1977)
• Muzaffer Selçuk (1977–1980)
• Arif Taşçı (1980–1981)
• Sabri Koç (1981–1983)
• Nurettin Kurtoğlu (1983–1984)
• Selahattin Filtekin (1984–1994)
• Tuncay Mutluer (1994–1999)
• Naif Alibeyoğlu (1999–2009)
• Nevzat Bozkuş (2009–2014)
• Murtaza Karaçanta (2014–2019)
• Ayhan Bilgen (2019–2020)
• Türker Öksüz (2020–2023)
• Ziya Polat (2023–2024)
• Prof. Dr. Ötüken Senger (2024–Present)

Districts

Kars consists of eight districts:

1. Center
2. Kağızman
3. Sarıkamış
4. Arpaçay
5. Akyaka
6. Selim
7. Digor
8. Susuz