Kars blends tsarist Russian architecture with Caucasian highland culture and millennia of Armenian, Byzantine, and Ottoman history. The highlight for most visitors is the Ani Ruins — a haunting city of stone churches, mosques, and palaces stranded on a plateau above the Arpaçay River gorge. Back in Kars city, the castle above the Kars River gives sweeping views, the Kümbet Mosque (a 10th-century Armenian church) stands near the town centre, and the evening food scene rewards anyone who seeks out kaz (goose) stew and aged gravyer cheese. The city is small enough to walk across in 20 minutes yet rich enough to fill three days.
Traditional markets
Where locals shop and travellers find treasures.
Kars Covered Bazaar (Kapalı Çarşı)
Local produce, cheese, spices, textiles, copperware
Where: City centre
Hours: Mon–Sat 09:00–19:00
Saturday Open-Air Market
Honey, cheese, seasonal vegetables, dried herbs, eggs
Where: Southern Kars, near bus terminal
Hours: Saturday 07:00–13:00