Erzurum
Erzurum is a city in eastern Turkey.
It is the largest city and capital of Erzurum Province and is 1,900 meters above sea level. Erzurum had a population of 367,250 in 2010. It is the site of ancient Theodosiopolis.
Getting to Erzurum
- 01Erzurum Airport
- 02Erzurum railway station is north end
It's within walking distance of hotels and other amenities.
Worth seeing
- 01Erzurum Castle
Atop the hill at the heart of the city, this was established by the Byzantines in 422 AD but what you see now is mostly Seljuk, 12th century.
- 02Twin Minaret Madrasa
- 03Yakutiye Madrasa
Built in 1310, this madrasa has fine stonework and is now an ethnography museum.
- 04Atatürk House
19th century merchant's house, used as the German consulate 1915/16, and later as the Governor's residence.
Things to do
Hamams - traditional Turkish Baths - are in a dozen central spots. Football: Erzurumspor FK were promoted in 2026 and now play soccer in Süper Lig, the top tier. Their Kazım Karabekir Stadium (capacity 21,300) is 2 km west of the city on the main road to Erzincan.
Where to eat
Local specialties: the climate is too high and cold for soft fruit & veg, so folk gorge upon meat at every opportunity: Cağ kebap is lamb on a horizontal spit, instead of the traditional vertical döner kebab. Kadayıf dolması is the local version of kadayıf sweet fibre pastry. Hacı Baba is at İsmetpaşa Cd 21, open daily 10:00-22:00.
Getting around Erzurum the local way
- Go nextTake a dolmuş to the seaside resort of Batumi to pick up onward transport to Tbilisi and Baku.
From Wikivoyage: Erzurum, CC BY-SA. Not yet checked by us. Last edited 2026-09.
Text adapted from Wikipedia and Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photograph: Wikimedia Commons (see file page), Wikimedia Commons.