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Kars Castle dominates the town
Kars Castle dominates the town

An introduction to Kars

December 19, 2013 By Jan Robinson 32 Comments

This post may contain compensated links. We may earn a small percentage if you book through a compensated link, but it won’t cost you any more by doing so. You can read our full disclaimer here.


Kars is one Turkish Town that I would definitely like to know better.  This once upon a time Armenian and Russian held town, seemed a little wild at first (we later found it calmed down drastically at night) and the people looked full of character and purpose.

Kars Couple

Some Turkish towns crept up on us – Kars was not one of those.

We arrived around lunch time to find the streets too chaotic to both drive and look for street names at the same time (our GPS threw it’s hands in the air in Kars).  As we stood on a corner with our Lonely Planet Turkey open, I noted a mosque not far to our right.  Mosques are handy landmarks in Turkey and are quite often marked on maps.

I was just saying so when a huge bearlike man crossed the street, grabbed our hands and began pumping them vigorously.   Even though he stood in the gutter I looked up to him from my spot on the footpath.  

Establishing that we were from Australia, Boris announced in a booming voice that he himself was from Kars and would like to help us.

This is not a photo of Boris!

Kars Chestnuts
This is not Boris!

We were used to Turkish people being FRIENDLY and helpful, but while they were often quirky and humorous they were also quiet and calm.  Those however were not words I would use to describe this particular Good Samaritan.  Overflowing with welcome, Boris was also commanding, impressive, maybe even a little bossy?  Telling him that we were looking for the Güngören Otel, he motioned us to follow him.

Kars Castle dominates the town
Kars Castle dominates the town

Thinking the hotel must be nearby we went along – it seemed pointless and silly to refuse.  B.H. kept pace while I ran along behind feeling like a child.  I guess he had exhausted his English by then, because a non-stop wave of Turkish washed over us thereafter.  The language barrier didn’t exist for Boris.

Bees enjoying figs
Kars is famous for it’s honey. These Bees are enjoying a fig meal.

The hotel was not close.  We galloped through (I guess he was in a hurry or did he always walk like that) innumerable streets and alleyways until I started feeling a tad uneasy.  I tried vainly to remember our route.  We passed salt bricks stacked on footpaths, and enormous cabbage piles, we passed men welding in workshops that spilled onto the path and shops selling large wheels of cheese, and whenever we turned right the menacing Kars Castle looked down on us.  I itched to take photos but dared not stop.

Kars Autumn Colours
Trees in Autumn Colours lined some of the streets.

What if Boris was a con-man or worse?  Every so often he would notice that I had fallen behind and would look imploringly at B.H. as if to say “make her keep up will you!” and then he would point to me and point at the ground behind him.  I obeyed, albeit with strangled hysterical giggles.  Just as my mind started formulating escape plans, we turned a corner and there was the hotel.

The hamam was next to the Güngören Hotel in Kars
The hamam was next to the Güngören Hotel

I could not believe that he had gone so far out of his way to help us.  Not happy to abandon us outside, Boris flung open the doors of the Güngören and marched up to the male Receptionist.  As usual he spoke with voluble authority and only Allah and the receptionist knew what he had to say.  I listened for the word Australian but didn’t hear it.   There were quick goodbyes, handshakes and thank-yous before he turned and strode out of our lives.

We only hoped we would find our rental car again!

Unfortunately I have no photos of Boris but I do have photos of his town.

The people and the streets of Kars.

The boys were keen to pose
The boys were keen to pose

 

Interesting streetscape of Kars
Interesting streetscape of Kars
Kars Dog
Now this dog has character.

 

The lady in cream wanted her photo taken but her friend had other ideas!
The lady in cream wanted her photo taken but her friend had other ideas!
Shoe Style and  Shoe Clean in Kars
Shoe Style and Shoe Clean
Kars Antik Cafe great coffee tasty biscuits
The Antik Cafe was an atmospheric place to watch Kars go by from.

Interesting facts:

The local people are descended from the Karsaks and the town itself is named after them.

Many people visit Kars (pronounced Karzz) because of the famous Orhan Pamuk novel Snow, but the locals were not too keen on his portrayal of their town.

We visited Kars because of the ruins of ANI some 45 km east (yes there will be a future post), but we really enjoyed the vibrant feel of the town and would have stayed longer if we were not on a strict timetable.  There were many places of interest in town and in the general area that we did not get to see.  I would suggest staying at least two nights in Kars or more if you have time.

Kars is in North Eastern Turkey near the Armenian border and is 438 km south-east of Trabzon.

Visit Nancie at BUDGET TRAVELERS SANDBOX FOR TRAVEL PHOTO THURSDAY.

 

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Filed Under: Destination Guides, Road Trips, Turkey

About Jan Robinson

Jan Robinson writes about travel on her Budget Travel Talk blog. A solo traveller in her teens, for the last 40 years Jan has travelled through Australia, Asia, Europe, Turkey and New Zealand with her husband. They specialise in road trips, caravanning and Independent travel without spending a fortune. Her favourite destination is Turkey and she is currently dreaming of Myanmar and Mexico.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Johanna

    December 19, 2013 at 4:49 pm

    Wow, never having been to Turkey, Kars looks like a really interesting place to visit. I loved some of the architecture and people do indeed look really friendly from the photos. The food at the Antik cafe looks just like the sort of lovely calorific break I could do with right now!

    Reply
    • Jan

      December 19, 2013 at 8:29 pm

      We saved some of the biscuits for later but they were a nice snack. Kars was different to other places in Turkey.

      Reply
  2. Tonya {The Traveling Praters}

    December 19, 2013 at 5:18 pm

    That is quite a story- I admit I was beginning to get a little nervous for you. Though I guessed that it turned out okay- after all you were writing the post.:)

    Do all of the dogs look that way there?

    Reply
    • Jan

      December 19, 2013 at 8:28 pm

      He was the only dog I took a photo of in Kars Tonya. I saw dogs that protect cattle and sheep and they had more fur. Boris was a funny introduction to Kars, but definitely a good one.

      Reply
  3. Muza-chan

    December 19, 2013 at 6:45 pm

    Interesting place…

    Reply
    • Jan

      December 19, 2013 at 8:25 pm

      Thanks Lily.

      Reply
  4. jenny@atasteoftravel

    December 19, 2013 at 7:57 pm

    Kars is definitely on the radar for our next trip to Turkey. Thank you for the introduction and your great photos. I’d love more of those delicious figs!!

    Reply
    • Jan

      December 19, 2013 at 8:25 pm

      Thanks Jenny, Kars is well worth the trip.

      Reply
  5. Maria Alexandra @LatinAbroad

    December 20, 2013 at 2:31 am

    lol about the “this is not for us!” Photo caption! I was just thinking about that when I read it haha.

    I usually love towns close to the border, as they tend to be so multicultural and unique. Sounds like Kars is one of them!

    Merry Christmas 🙂

    -Maria Alexandra

    Reply
    • Jan

      December 20, 2013 at 6:17 am

      I think I will be visiting more border towns in the future Maria!

      Reply
  6. eileen at FamiliesGo!

    December 20, 2013 at 2:42 am

    one of the great things about travel is putting yourself in the hands of strangers and having it work out. restores your faith in people and all that.

    Reply
    • Jan

      December 20, 2013 at 6:10 am

      Turkish people will always help if they can. Boris actually went way out of his way to do so.

      Reply
    • Jan

      December 20, 2013 at 6:17 am

      The Turkish People are so genuine and welcoming and Boris was a fine example 🙂

      Reply
  7. Michele {Malaysian Meanders}

    December 20, 2013 at 4:00 am

    That is such a great story. I’ll bet you’ll be telling it for years. Boris really is nice, isn’t he. I like the photos, too, especially the one with the woman in the cream coat being pulled away.

    Reply
    • Jan

      December 20, 2013 at 6:09 am

      He was very nice. It was only the language barrier that meant we didn’t know how far we had to go that got my mind racing 🙂

      Reply
  8. noel morata

    December 20, 2013 at 2:04 pm

    What an excellent tour, which I had time to also visit this when I was in turkey, I enjoyed the tour!

    Reply
    • Jan

      December 21, 2013 at 4:57 pm

      So are you saying you went there too Noel?

      Reply
  9. Denise

    December 20, 2013 at 6:26 pm

    That’s exactly why I know of Kars – because of ‘Snow’. I would love to go to Ani. Looking forward to your upcoming post.

    Reply
    • Jan

      December 21, 2013 at 4:58 pm

      I have not read Snow, but the Author is very well known – has won a Nobel Prize! I hope my photos do Ani justice 🙂

      Reply
  10. Marisol@TavelingSolemates

    December 22, 2013 at 2:25 am

    Hi Jan, what a wonderful encounter local you had. This is why I like traveling in small towns. The people are so genuinely welcoming. I like how you captured Kars in your photos. I particularly like the shot of that woman who wanted to pose for a photo and the friend didn’t. It’s funny that you can read your reader’s mind ahead of time. Just as I was scrolling the second photo I thinking to myself that it was Boris, but then you responded to my thought in your caption saying “This is not Boris!” 🙂

    Reply
    • Jan

      December 22, 2013 at 12:03 pm

      Yes I agree Marisol, small towns give a different perspective of a country. I was thinking that I would be expecting a photo of Boris, that is why I had to say that it wasn’t him, lol.

      Reply
  11. Marisol@TavelingSolemates

    December 22, 2013 at 2:26 am

    By the way, I look forward to your post on Ani. That’s one place I’d love to visit when I return to Turkey.

    Reply
    • Jan

      December 22, 2013 at 12:03 pm

      Great, I will do it soon. 🙂

      Reply
  12. Mary {The World Is A Book}

    December 23, 2013 at 11:47 am

    This does look like such a charming town full of character. Love that story with Boris. It’s always the characters you meet that make a trip unforgettable. Great capture of the figs and honey. Merry Christmas to you and your family, Jan.

    Reply
    • Jan

      December 23, 2013 at 2:31 pm

      I love doing posts that remind of the different characters we met. Boris was one of a kind 🙂 So many bees! Merry Christmas Mary 🙂

      Reply
  13. Muza-chan

    April 14, 2014 at 7:16 pm

    Interesting article, thanks 🙂

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. The Ruins of Ani says:
    January 12, 2014 at 9:21 am

    […] drove from KARS. Kars Tourist Office can arrange Taxis for approx 150tl per taxi (cost can be shared with others). […]

    Reply
  2. Eastern Turkey Self Drive Itinerary says:
    February 27, 2014 at 2:54 pm

    […] THAT AFTERNOON WE ARRIVED AT KARS. […]

    Reply
  3. Dogubayazit to Kars Day 5 of an Eastern Turkey Road Trip says:
    May 8, 2014 at 2:04 pm

    […] could say I made up for that by taking twice as many of Kars.   Here are some not previously published […]

    Reply
  4. Bozcaada the Barren says:
    September 25, 2014 at 8:59 am

    […] looking at Google Maps I realized that Bozcaada Island and Geyikli were on the same longitude as KARS, a world away on the eastern side of Turkey and it reminded me what a crazy diverse country Turkey […]

    Reply
  5. Is Turkey a Budget Destination says:
    November 24, 2014 at 12:56 pm

    […] They walked us unasked to our destinations like Boris did in Kars. […]

    Reply
  6. On The Road Again | BootsnAll says:
    August 4, 2015 at 9:07 pm

    […] @BudgetTrvlTalk tells us about the time she was forcefully helped by a stranger while in Kars, Turkey. […]

    Reply

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