2. INTERNATIONAL SUFI CONFERENCE Spiritual Chivalry (Futuwwa) & its Role in Character Building July 12- 14, 2019 Sarıkamış-Kars

and right after

8. SUFI SUMMER CAMP The Conquest of the Heart July 15- 18, 2019 Sarıkamış-Kars

Highlights of Kars

City Tour The best and most efficient way to explore the city is to walk around. You can visit all historical places with 11 km long and 7 km of short city walking routes that includes Kars city center with its vertically intersecting streets designed as a grid and make a deep journey between past and present by viewing historical and cultural values inherited from rooted civilizations that inhabited Kars.

Tomb of Hazrat Abu’l Hasan Harakani and Awliya Mosque

The tomb of Abu’l Hasan Harakani in the Awliya Mosque Complex, located in the central Kaleçi district of Kars province was built during the conquest of Kars by Alpaslan, 31 years after Hz. Harakani was martyred. At the time of the restoration of the Awliya Mosque in 1998, the sarcophagus of Hazrat Harakani was taken into a wooden frame and a domed fountain was built in the area where the tomb was located. The Ottoman inscription dated 1617 was placed on the entrance gate of the dome. There are 21 tombs around the tomb of Abu’l Hasan Harakani in the domed fountain in Awliya Mosque Complex.

Kars Castle

Kars Castle was built in 1153 by Melik İzzeddin, the Sultan of Saltuklu. The fortification walls of 3.5 km made of cut basalt stone, had 220 bastions, but only 7 towers have survived to the present day. The castle has 4 entrances.

Kümbet Mosque – Church of 12 Apostles The Church of the Apostles, located on the southern slope of the citadel of Kars Castle, is one of the Armenian churches in the city and was built by King Abbas in 932-937 AD during the Bagratun Kingdom. The church is centrally planned and has a right-angled space, which resembles four clover leaves, expanding with four niches. This church was converted into a mosque in 1064 and named as Kümbet Mosque. When the region was under Russian domination, the mosque was converted to the Russian Orthodox Church. In 1918, when it was under Turkish rule, it was converted into a mosque again.

Sarıkamış

Located on the foothills of Bayraktepe with 2634 m altitude, Sarıkamış Ski Resort Center serves to ski lovers with its long ski tracks, qualified rest facilities, natural yellow-pine forests that prevent avalanches and large crystal snowflakes which are indigenous to this area apart from the Alps. A large part of the year is covered with snow. Sarıkamış is one of the most important ski centers in Turkey.

Sarıkamış, spreading on high plateaus, surrounded by the mountains of Allahuakbar, Soganli and Gullu, is a real tourism paradise with its untouched nature, historical places, rich cultural identity, local dishes, authentic traditions and original values. Sarıkamış, with its lush pine forests and hiking, cycling and culture routes, is also a fascinating beauty in the summer with its scenic car and jeep safari routes.

Ancient City of Ani

As one of the most significant ruins of Turkey, Ani, also known as “City of 1001 Churches”, is located on the west of Arpachay Valley, which defines the border between Turkey and Armenia and has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 2016. The archeological site in Ocakli Village, 41 km away from the city center, has always maintained its importance due to its location on historical Silk Road; and revealed by archaeological digs, this magnificent city which hosted several ancient civilizations, proved to have a history of 5000 years. Prominent structures within the site are the walls, Kars Gate, Lion Gate, Hidirellez Gate, Ateshgede, Seljukian Palace, King Gagik’s Church, Cathedral of Ani, Church of Abukhamrents, Abu Menucehr Mosques, Tignan Horents Church, Halasker (Kecel) Church, Pigeon (Young Girls) Church, Silk Road Bridge, Inner Castle, The Maiden’s Castle and Monastery of the Virgins.

Camushlu Rock Inscriptions

Camushlu, which contains monumental inscriptions from ancient times of human history, is 50km away from Kars center. The rock paintings from the village of the same name are dated to the Paleolithic age. In the pictures placed on the slopes of a basalt rocky hill, human, deer, wild goat and donkey figures stand out.

Malaccans in Kars

Malaccans with their Russian origin are especially known for their resistance against war. This community that opposes the authority of the church and reverends and who still try to sustain their lives without any device as was in the emerging years of Christianity, were compelled to migrate earlier. Thus, Malaccans, who migrated to Kars as well as many other countries, have conveyed their cultural background on these lands. The trails of the Malaccan community, who live in the countryside of Kars, can be seen in many villages and graveyards. Chakmak village is 6km away from the city center with old Malaccans houses and the milk treats that reflect the traditional culture of the community.

Bogatepe Eco-Village

Striving to improve traditional production methods via dealing with nature and earth, understanding and conceiving them, Bogatepe Village stands to be a benchmark of ecotourism activities in Kars. Peynirevi (Cheesehouse) Exhibition Gallery provides tourism activities to Kars in general and to the village settlement in local with its production of 13 kinds of cheeses, medicinal plants, trekking activities and family boarding house. 45km away from Kars city center, Bogatepe has also given its name to the hill nearby.

Fresh kasseri, aged kasseri, gruyere, curd, cecil cheese, skin tulum cheese, heriye tulum cheese, Malaccan wine cheese, Malaccan pickled cheese, tulum, string cheese, head cheese, churuk, otlu and chanak cheeses are among the kinds of cheese products produce in Bogatepe.

Flora in Kars

It is estimated that over two thousand flowering plants spread across provincial boundaries of Kars, and a hundred of them are endemic. Childir Lake, Allahuakbar Mountains and Sarıkamış Forests within the provincial boundaries are determined as important plant areas. Botanic tours are organized in these areas which are natural or semi-natural areas with a very rich plant diversity that involves the populations of endangered or rare endemic plant species.

Kars Fauna and Birdwatching

Laying on the intersection of Caucasian and Iran-Anatolia warm lands which are two of 34 important biological diversity areas in the world, with its location, altitude, wetlands, yellow pine forests, pasturelands and being on the route of migratory birds, Kars is regarded as one of the most valuable territories in Turkey. With its hidden Edens that embody various natural sites, Kars offers several options to nature lovers to observe the wildlife of various living creatures including wolves and insects. Kars region which hosts 308 of 465 bird species in Turkey, provides an excellent opportunity of bird-watching with its important wetlands such as Childir, Kuyucuk, Turna, Aygir, Chali and Chengilli (Deniz) Lakes.

What to buy from Kars? The main reason for the prominence of carpet and rug weaving and dairy products in the region is the livestock as being the main income source of the region. Another important souvenir of Kars is the obsidian, which comes from the Keklik Stream Valley. This valuable mineral which is available in brown, black, green colors in the nature is used to make jewelries and ornaments. Kars is also known for its honey and cheese.

Local Flavors

Undoubtedly, the most significant element of Kars cuisine is the goose culture, which is lived as a ritual. Goose, which is preserved after drying especially in winter months as a consequence of harsh geographic and climatic conditions, has been an indispensable nutritional source for the region’s inhibiters for hundreds of years. Besides dried goose, we could list other local tastes of the region as dried nettle soup, strained rice with raisin, nezik, feselli, umach halva, evelik soup, piti kabab, loaf food, stuffed apple, lentil noodle with potato, soup of butter flour and tomato paste, pishi, gatıg soup (buttermilk soup), kuymak, hengel (Turkish ravioli), hasil and water bourek.

Also….

Kars retains a strong heritage of folk dancing that visitors always enjoy watching.

Useful Links https://www.kulturportali.gov.tr/turkiye/kars/gezilecekyer www.kayisnowhotel.com/ http://harakanivakfi.com.tr/ www.kuzeydoga.org https://anatolianfoodtreasures.com/Haber/8/Haber.html?Lang=EN

Resources

Kars Provincial Directorate of Culture and Tourism Serhat Development Agency Flypgs.com Magazine http://www.ekinatagrandtoprakhotel.com/en/lets-go-sighseeing-and- see/https://hometurkey.com/en/destinations/kars http://www.kars.gov.tr/sehirkartlariebulhasanharakani http://harakanivakfi.com.tr/