Sights and landmarks in Kars

Kars Highlights

Kars offers a unique blend of medieval Armenian heritage and Russian-inspired urban planning. This list highlights the UNESCO-listed archaeological site of Ani, featuring the 11th-century Cathedral and the Tigran Honents Church. Within the city of Kars, the 12th-century fortress overlooks the Church of the Apostles and specialized museums like the Caucasian Front War History Museum, housed in a 19th-century bastion. These sites document the region's complex history as a strategic frontier between the Ottoman, Russian, and Armenian empires.

Kars Highlights — Map

A

Ani

Ani is a ruined medieval Armenian city now situated in Turkey's province of Kars, next to the closed border with Armenia.

Sabri76 / CC BY-SA 3.0

B

Kars Castle

The Castle of Kars is a former fortification located in Kars, Turkey. It is also known under the name Iç Kale.

ՀԱՅԿԱԿԱՆ ՍՍՀ ԳԻՏՈԻԹՑՈԻՆՆԵՐԻ ԱԿԱԴԵՄԻԱ / CC BY-SA 3.0

C

Cathedral of Ani

The Cathedral of Ani is the largest standing building in Ani, the capital city of medieval Bagratid Armenia, located in present-day eastern…

Z galstyan / CC BY-SA 3.0

D

Yereruyk Basilica

Yererouk, also Yereruyk or Ererouk, is an ancient Armenian church near the village of Anipemza in the Shirak Province of Armenia.

ՀԱՅԿԱԿԱՆ ՍՍՀ ԳԻՏՈԻԹՑՈԻՆՆԵՐԻ ԱԿԱԴԵՄԻԱ / CC BY-SA 3.0

E

Church of St Gregory

The Cathedral of Ani is the largest standing building in Ani, the capital city of medieval Bagratid Armenia, located in present-day eastern…

F

Kafkas Cephesi Harp Tarihi Müzesi

Located in the 19th-century Kanlı Tabya fortification, this museum focuses on the military history of the Caucasian front and the defense of Kars during the Ottoman-Russian wars.

G

Kara Peynir muzesi

A specialized museum dedicated to the history and production of the region’s famous dairy products, including Kars Gravyer and Kaşar cheese.

Dominik Matus / CC BY-SA 4.0

H

Khtzkonk Monastery

Khtzkonk Monastery was a monastic ensemble of five Armenian churches built between the seventh and thirteenth centuries in what was then…

I

Kars Museum

Features archaeological artifacts from the Ani ruins and Bronze Age sites, alongside ethnographic displays of local carpets and 19th-century Russian-era items.

J

Kümbet Kilise

A 10th-century Armenian church built during the Bagratid dynasty, characterized by its twelve-sided structure and relief carvings of the twelve apostles.

K

The Church of St. Gregory of Tigran Honents

Completed in 1215, this church in the Ani archaeological site is notable for its vibrant interior frescoes illustrating the life of Christ and Saint Gregory the Illuminator.

L

Minuchihr Mosque

Constructed in 1072 by the Shaddadids, this is the first mosque built by Turks in Anatolia, featuring a unique octagonal minaret and views of the Armenian border.

Other Lists

Kars Essentials Sacred Sites