Erzurum - an ancient city, located on a high plateau in the east of Turkey. It originated from the Byzantine fortress Feodosiopolis. The city's location on the path, which runs from Persia to the Black Sea contributed to its development. In the history of the city owned the Byzantines, Seljuk Turks, Armenians, Arabs.

The oldest building in Erzurum - a partially preserved fortress built by Theodosius in the fifth century. That is the Russian fort seized during the Russian-Turkish wars, here visited Alexander Pushkin, then wrote one of the first in literature, diaries traveler: "Journey to Erzurum."

Erzurum Fortress, which has run on top of the wall, standing guard in the Old Town on the hill. It was restored in 1555 by Suleiman the Great and rebuilt a couple of times at different times. Inside the city walls there is a small mosque of the twelfth century, which has three separate minaret and a conical roof. By the nineteenth century minaret built a gallery, made in neo-baroque style. This minaret was subsequently called Saat losis, which translates as "clock tower", if you want it you can get up. The clock on the tower donated by Queen Victoria.

Around the fortress are ditches. Iron gates, double; They pass through the bridge between these two gates are ten guns (ball-emez). From the gate of Tabriz is just one row of walls as high as are the gate that connects the fortress. They were very strong and well-fortified (plastered with guns, "like a hedgehog").

Outside it is high, towering over the fortress and rush into the sky tower, which is like a stone minaret. This tower covered with boards and is known as the Kesik-Kul. It remained ten beautiful guns (Saraha), which in the old days did not allow to approach the fortress stretching from the plains in all directions, even a bird.

Also in the fort were two thousand and eighty loopholes. All loopholes and battlements had special loopholes. Just inside the citadel there were about seven hundred houses. They were all the old buildings and wings clay.

The main system of fortifications Erzurum are rugged mountains, which are very cleverly equipped with powerful fortifications. The fortress wall is lined with stone heap of stones held together by mortar. Bas fortress reminiscent of the heroic past.

The fortress many times passed from hand to hand, each new conqueror rebuild destroyed by the storm wall, so the exact date of the current construction - is unknown.

In the last couple of hundred years fortress Erzurum often had to feel the strength and power of the Russian armies. Erzurum was thrice taken by the Russian troops. The first capture of the fortress of Erzurum was implemented in 1829 by General Ivan Paskevich, who was a huge military experience: participation in the Borodino, and many other battles with the army of Napoleon. General Paskevich storm on the eve of Erzurum brilliantly defeated Turkish troops. City in this regard, surrendered almost without a fight.

A second attempt to seize Russian Erzurum was made in October 1878. Turks this time very well organized defense of the fortress, so that the general Gaiman take it in stride could not. Erzurum was transferred to Russia only as a result of the ceasefire signed in 1879. And for the third time Russian Erzurum conquered the citadel in 1916 during the First World War. However, this achievement was meaningless, since the Russian Empire a year later ceased to exist.