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Erzurum
The Seljuk era Çifte Minareli Medrese is the symbol of Erzurum and appears on the city's coat of arms
Country	Turkey
Region	Eastern Anatolia Region
Province	Erzurum Province
Population
• Total	361,235
Time zone	UTC+2 (EET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+3 (EEST)
Website	www.erzurum-bld.gov.tr

Erzurum (Template:Lang-hy, Karin, also Կարնո քաղաք, Karin City; Template:Lang-el, 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). The town was known in Byzantine times as Theodosiopolis, acquiring its present name after its conquest by the Seljuk Turks following the Battle of Manzikert in 1071.

Erzurum has a population of 361,235 (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 −11 °C (12 °F). Temperatures often drop below −30 °C (−22 °F) in the winter, with heavy snowfall.

Erzurum, known as "The Rock" in NATO code, has served as NATO's southeasternmost 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

Erzurum existed since the ancient times 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 Byzantine Empire and Sassanid Persia in 387 A.D., the city passed into the hands of the Byzantines, who 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 subsequent wars between the Byzantines and Persians. Emperors Anastasius I and Justinian I both refortified the city and built new defenses during their reigns.

Theodosiopolis also served as a stronghold against the Byzantines when the Arabs conquered the city in the seventh century. In 949, the Byzantine forces, led by the future emperor John I Tzimisces and his father, captured Theodosiopolis and laid ruin to it. It remained desolated and in ruins for over half a century until Emperor Basil II began rebuilding the city and its defenses in 1018 with the help of its native Armenian population. But 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 between 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

The city was captured by Russia in 1829, but given back 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, but was returned to the Ottoman Empire 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 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 residence of the Archbishop of the Armenian Apostolic Church. By the time the Russians entered it in 1916, barely a hundred Armenians, out of a prewar population of 20,000, were found to be alive. The deportation route for the Armenians of Erzurum and neighboring areas in eastern Anatolia went through the city of Harput.

It was returned to the Ottomans with the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk in March 1918. Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, 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

Until recent years, the largest source of income and economic activity in the city has been the university. Atatürk University, established in 1950, is one of the largest universities in Turkey, having more than forty-thousand students. Tourism also provides a large portion of the province's revenues. The city is particularly 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.

At present, Erzurum is the ending point of the South Caucasus Pipeline, which is 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 13 July 2009 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 (Twin Minaret Madrasa) which was built during the Seljuk period and is regarded as the symbol of the city, appearing also on the coat of arms of the Erzurum Municipality.

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 runways that are the second longest in Turkey.

Notable natives

• Arif Sağ, Turkish singer, bağlama virtuoso
• Cemal Gürsel, the fourth president of Turkey
• Fethullah Gülen, modernist Islamic scholar and writer
• İbrahim Hakkı Erzurumi, Turkish and Sufi philosopher and encyclopedist
• Johannes Avetaranian
• Karekin Pastermadjian, a leader of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation and an ambassador of Armenia
• Markos Vafiadis, leading cadre of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE), Prime Minister of Greece
• Nene Hatun, female defender of Erzurum during the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-78
• Orhun Ene, Turkish Basketball player
• Vartkes Serengülian, ethnic Armenian deputy in the Ottoman parliament from 1908-1915 representing Erzurum.
• Acun Ilıcalı Television programmer
• Adnan Polat President of Galatasaray

External links

• Erzurum Erzurum
• Erzurum Chamber of Commerce
• Pictures of the capital of this province
• Erzurum Yerel Radio Erzurum Yıldız Fm
• İhsan Doğramacı Vakfı Özel Bilkent Erzurum Laboratuvar Lisesi Bilkent Üniversitesi Erzurum Yerleşkesi

References

1. ^ Erzurum Municipality website
2. Erzurum The name comes from the Arabic, "Arzu r-Rum," meaning "Land of the Romans."
3. Garsoïan, Nina G. "The Foundation of Theodosiopolis-Karin" in Armenian Karin/Erzerum. UCLA Armenian History and Culture Series: Historic Armenian Cities and Provinces, 4. Richard G. Hovannisian (ed.) Costa Mesa, CA: Mazda Publishers, 2003, pp. 63-72.
4. Template:Hy icon Arakelyan, Babken N. "Հայաստանի Խոշոր Քաղաքները" ("The Great Cities of Armenia"). History of the Armenian People. vol. iii. Yerevan, Armenian SSR: Armenian Academy of Sciences, 1976, p. 232.
5. Arakelyan. "The Great Cities of Armenia", pp. 232-233.
6. Dadrian, Vahakn N. Warrant for Genocide: Key Elements of Turko-Armenian Conflict. New Brunswick, N.J.: Transaction Publishers, 1999, p. 141.
7. Balakian, Peter. The Burning Tigris: The Armenian Genocide and America's Response. New York: HarperCollins. pp. 59, 127–129. ISBN 0-0605-5870-9.
8. Hewsen, Robert H. "Summit of the Earth: The Historical Geography of Bardzr Hayk" in Armenian Karin/Erzerum, pp. 51-56, 60.
9. Balakian. The Burning Tigris, p. 247.
10. See, Hovannisian, Richard G. "The Competition for Erzerum, 1914-1921" in Armenian Karin/Erzerum, pp. 378ff.
11. "Europe gas pipeline deal agreed". BBC News. 2009-07-13. Retrieved 2009-07-13.
12. "Turkey, EU countries sign gas pipeline deal". Today's Zaman. 2009-07-13. Retrieved 2009-07-13.
13. "Nabucco Summits Begins". Turkish Press. 2009-07-13. Retrieved 2009-07-13.
14. Ian Kelly (2009-07-13). "Signing Ceremony for the Intergovernmental Agreement on the Nabucco Pipeline" (Press release). United States Department of State. Retrieved 2009-07-13.

Further reading

• Hovannisian, Richard G. (ed.) Armenian Karin/Erzerum. UCLA Armenian History and Culture Series: Historic Armenian Cities and Provinces, 4. Costa Mesa, CA: Mazda Publishers, 2003.
• Template:Hy icon Ter-Ghevondyan, Aram N. "Կարին-Թեոդուպոլիսը ավանդության և պատմության մեջ" ("Karin-Theodosiopolis in Tradition and History"). Lraber Hasarakakan Gitutyunneri. № 3, 1971.

v t e Erzurum in Erzurum Province of Turkey
Districts	Aşkale Aziziye Çat Hınıs Horasan İspir Karaçoban Karayazı Köprüköy Narman Oltu Olur Palandöken Pasinler Pazaryolu Şenkaya Tekman Tortum Uzundere Yakutiye
List of provinces by region Istanbul Istanbul West Marmara Balıkesir Çanakkale Edirne Kırklareli Tekirdağ Aegean Afyonkarahisar Aydın Denizli İzmir Kütahya Manisa Muğla Uşak East Marmara Bilecik Bolu Bursa Düzce Eskişehir Kocaeli Sakarya Yalova West Anatolia Ankara Karaman Konya Mediterranean Adana Antalya Burdur Hatay Isparta Kahramanmaraş Mersin Osmaniye Central Anatolia Aksaray Kayseri Kırıkkale Kırşehir Nevşehir Niğde Sivas Yozgat West Black Sea Amasya Bartın Çankırı Çorum Karabük Kastamonu Samsun Sinop Tokat Zonguldak East Black Sea Artvin Giresun Gümüşhane Ordu Rize Trabzon Northeast Anatolia Ağrı Ardahan Bayburt Erzincan Erzurum Iğdır Kars Central East Anatolia Bingöl Bitlis Elazığ Hakkâri Malatya Muş Tunceli Van Southeast Anatolia Adıyaman Batman Diyarbakır Gaziantep Kilis Mardin Siirt Şanlıurfa Şırnak
Metropolitan municipalities are bolded.

• Cities in Turkey
• Erzurum
• Armenian Genocide extermination centers