Byzantine fortresses and Seljuk stone: The landmarks at the heart of Erzurum
Stand at the base of Erzurum Castle and look up at the hill dominating the city centre. This fortress was established by the Byzantines in 422 AD as a military stronghold on the empire's eastern frontier, though what rises before you now is mostly Seljuk work from the 12th century. Climb the 19th-century Tepsi minaret, a watchtower that crowns the hilltop, and the city spreads below you in all directions. The castle includes a museum within its walls, and the entry fee is modest enough that you can spend an hour exploring the layers of conquest and rebuilding that shaped this place.
Walking downhill into the old quarters, you'll encounter two structures that define Erzurum's visual identity. The Twin Minaret Madrasa—officially the Çifte Minareli Medrese—was built around 1260 as a theological school. Its façade is crowned by two fluted minarets that rise above the monumental entrance, and the building now functions as a museum and serves as the city's symbol. Just next door stands the Grand Mosque, built in 1179 by the Emir of Saltuk, a plain exterior that opens into an impressive interior hall with room for 10,000 worshippers.
Three Tombs stand across the street east of the Erzurum Museum. The largest belongs to Emir Saltuk from the late 12th century; the others, with their conical roofs, date to around the 14th century, though their original inhabitants remain unknown. A short walk south brings you to the tomb of Rabia Hatun. The Stone Mosque, originally the Church of the Virgin Mary, sits 200 metres east of the museum, converted to Islamic use in the 19th century—a physical record of the city's shifting religious and political tides.
Museums and the traces of recent history
The Erzurum Museum, set in a modern building just south of the Twin Minaret Madrasa, traces the city from prehistory through Byzantine times, with exhibits on natural history that ground you in the landscape and climate of this high plateau. A few blocks away, the Yakutiye Madrasa, built in 1310, showcases fine stonework and now operates as an ethnography museum, its displays revealing daily life and craft traditions across centuries.
For those drawn to the early 20th century, the Atatürk House holds quiet significance. This 19th-century merchant's house served as the German consulate in 1915–16, later became the Governor's residence, and hosted Mustafa Kemal Atatürk for 52 days in 1919 when he arrived to organize the Turkish War of Independence. The signage is in Turkish, so you're reading the space itself rather than being guided through it. Entry is free, and the house sits just off Çaykara Street in the Yukari Mumcu quarter.
Winter sports and mountain views
Palandöken Ski Center lies 6 kilometres south of the city centre, accessible by bus. The cable car from the base station carries you up into the ski slopes, making winter sports genuinely accessible even if you've only just arrived. In summer, the same mountain invites a different kind of ascent: Palandöken's summit reaches 3,271 metres, and a dirt road climbs from the city centre to the top, rewarding hikers with views across the eastern Anatolian plateau.
Markets, streets, and the rhythm of the city
Erzurum's traditional hammams—Turkish baths—operate at a dozen central locations throughout the old quarters. These are places to move slowly, to experience the ritual of hot stone and steam that has anchored daily life here for centuries.
If you're in the city during football season, Erzurumspor FK plays at Kazım Karabekir Stadium, 2 kilometres west on the main road to Erzincan. The club was promoted to Süper Lig, Turkey's top tier, in 2026, and watching a match gives you a direct line into what the city cares about on a Saturday afternoon.
Beyond the city: A Georgian monastery in the mountains
Oshki Monastery—also known as Öşkvank—sits in Çamlıyamaç village, 60 kilometres northeast of Erzurum in the mountains along the D950 road. Its centrepiece is the Church of John the Baptist, built around 970 and once a major centre of medieval Georgian culture. However, as of 2026 the monastery stands in ruins, now hidden behind walls and barriers, and is not worth the mountain drive to see.
Erzurum sits at 1,900 metres above sea level on the eastern Anatolian plateau, a city where Byzantine fortifications meet Seljuk minarets, where recent political history breathes through a merchant's house, and where winter transforms the surrounding peaks into ski slopes. Begin planning your visit in the warmer months if you want to hike Palandöken and wander the old quarters at leisure, or come in winter if snow and the cable car draw you upward.