Cultural and environmental initiatives in Kars

Various local initiatives are underway in Kars focused on cultural preservation and environmental development. The newly appointed Provincial Mufti, Dr. Selami Aykul, has begun efforts to maintain the city’s spiritual heritage, including the renewal of ceremonial items at the tomb of Ebû’l-Hasan Harakânî.

In terms of infrastructure and heritage, restoration work has commenced at the historic Kümbet Mosque to repair stone cladding on its roof following damage caused by severe weather. Cultural Heritage and Art History Expert Faruk Torunoğlu noted the mosque was temporarily closed due to wear caused by cold temperatures and seasonal weather changes. The Erzurum Cultural Heritage Preservation Regional Board Directorate is overseeing these repairs to address gaps and wear between the stones to allow the site to reopen for worship.

Additionally, a 27 million TL restoration project has been announced for the 18th-century Ottoman Mazlum Ağa Hamamı. This collaborative effort between the Eastern Anatolia Project (DAP) Regional Development Administration and the Kars Special Provincial Administration aims to restore the basalt stone, double-domed structure to its original function. The bathhouse, located by the Kars River, is noted for its historical significance, including a section where the poet Alexander Pushkin is said to have bathed. The project is expected to support local tourism by hosting 50,000 annual visitors.

Simultaneously, forestry officials are working to transform a central urban area into a ‘Nation Forest’ (Millet Ormanı) to create a social recreation space, while also monitoring afforestation sites in Cumhuriyet Village.