Erzurum

City in TürkiyeHigh on a plateau in eastern Türkiye, Erzurum stands about 1,900 m above sea level, which gives it very cold, snowy winters.

What it's known for

Erzurum is a winter sports centre, with skiing on nearby Palandöken Mountain, and it hosted the 2011 Winter Universiade. In 1919 the Erzurum Congress met here, one of the starting points of the Turkish War of Independence. Atatürk University, founded in 1950, plays a big part in the city's life.

Fun facts

In Roman times the city was called Theodosiopolis, and one explanation of the name Erzurum is 'land of the Rûm', meaning the Romans.
The Twin Minaret Madrasa, a Seljuk school built around 1253, is the symbol of the city.
Local craftspeople carve Oltu stone into prayer beads, bracelets, necklaces and earrings that are sold as souvenirs.

Finding it on the globe

In the northeast of Türkiye, go about 180 km southeast from Trabzon on the Black Sea coast. Erzurum is there on the high plateau, northwest of Lake Van.

Sources: Wikipedia: Erzurum