A day in Kars and Ani: ruins, castle and winter cold

Ani is a ruined medieval city in Kars Province, on the Arpaçay river at the border with Armenia. The ministry gives its distance from Kars city centre as 42 km. It was the capital of the Bagratid Armenian kingdom from 961 to 1045 and a Silk Road trading city. UNESCO added it to the World Heritage List on 15 July 2016. One day is enough for Ani in the morning and Kars old town in the afternoon.

Getting from Kars to Ani

No regular public transport runs from Kars to Ani. Most visitors hire a car, book a taxi for the whole trip including waiting time, share a minibus or join a tour from Kars. The drive takes about an hour. Some guides mention a tourist minibus from the Gazi Ahmet Muhtar Paşa Mansion in the centre; ask locally whether it still runs.

What to see at Ani

The ministry counts 21 buildings on the site, including churches, mosques, a palace, a caravanserai and baths. On the north side, a double wall with gates such as the Lion Gate faces the plateau. The cathedral was begun in 989 and completed in 1001; its architect was Trdat. An earthquake brought down its dome in 1319.

The Church of St Gregory of Tigran Honents, finished in 1215, is the best-preserved building at Ani. The Church of the Holy Redeemer was completed shortly after 1035; its eastern half collapsed in 1955. The Menüçehr Mosque is named after the first Shaddadid ruler of Ani, and its minaret still stands. The main sights fit into half a day.

Kars castle and the old town

Kars Castle stands on a hill above the Kars River. The ministry dates it to 1153, under the Saltukids; its walls were rebuilt several times later. Below it, the stone bridge Taşköprü crosses the river; it was rebuilt around 1725 after a flood. The Kümbet Mosque, south of the castle, was built in the 10th century as the Church of the Holy Apostles and has been a mosque again since 1993.

Kars was under Russian rule from 1878 to 1918. Streets laid out on a grid and stone buildings from that period stand in the Yusufpaşa, Ortakapı and Cumhuriyet neighbourhoods, a short walk from the castle.

Season and cold weather

Kars lies at about 1,768 m. Winters are long and very cold. The Turkish State Meteorological Service gives an average January low of −16.2 °C, and the record low is about −37 °C. Ani is lower, at about 1,340 m, but it is open ground with few facilities. There is a small café near the ticket office.

The ministry lists separate summer and winter opening hours for Ani, with shorter days from October to March. Check the current hours on muze.gov.tr before you leave Kars, and plan to reach the site at least three hours before closing.