Going To Erzurum, The Source of The Jet Stone

Also called the “Land of the Brave Men” or the “Home of the Saints”, Erzurum is famous for its harsh climate and courageous people, which is accurate, people are of a different kind here. They are known for being brave, courageous, well-mannered and of course, preserving the ethics of Islam.

You can think of thousands of options when we say Erzurum. This city, world-wide famous for its jet stone, is an embodiment of very important values from its history to its nature, its cuisine to prayer halls.

People who visit this city always recommend it to others… I will tell you why you need to see, visit and breathe the air of Erzurum in a minute. However, I need to say that this city is also highly famous for its cold weather. Telling you the lowest air temperature measured in Erzurum so far was -36 °C, I am beginning to list the reasons to visit this city:

-       You absolutely need to taste the cağ kebab in Erzurum, this is a must. This city is the homeland of this taste. The kebab which is prepared by cooking marinated lamb meat on a horizontal skew on wood fire is named after the skews called cağ.

- In his travel book, Evliya Çelebi talks about the people of Erzurum all being well-mannered and sympathetic. Their hospitality, courage, sincerity and self-devotion are passed down by word of mouth… Sometimes we ask are there any such people left?... It’s worth coming to this city just to see these people and have a nice conversation accompanied with a cup of tea!

- I just told you that this city is really cold… Palandöken, located within the borders of Erzurum, is the ice queen of this city. The Palandöken Ski Resort which is certified as the second biggest ski resort in the world by the International Ski Federation is very close to the city center.

- Included in the UNESCO Temporary List of World Heritage and one of the oldest sanctuaries, the Double Minaret Madrasah has managed to stand still since the 13^th century. It’s worth seeing the amazing beauty of this historical place.

- The seventh oldest university in Turkey, Atatürk University serves for the educational needs of students around the area.

- The third highest and the second most important in the world in terms of formation, the Tortum Falls is again located in this area.

- The first dessert that comes to mind when it’s about the Erzurum cuisine is stuffed kadayif… You can taste the rolled form of kadayif dessert in Erzurum.

- You can see the people of Erzurum, expert at throwing the javelin, one of the oldest sports of Turks.

- And of course kıtlama, Erzurum is also the homeland of kıtlama, which is some kind of sugar taken alongside tea.