Overview

Overview

The City of Ardahan has a history of about 3000 years and was named as Ardahan by Turks of Arda Tribe, which is an extended arm of the Caspian Turks, in 628 BC. The city's control passed to Seljuks upon the conquest of Alparslan in 1068 A.D. and it was made part of the Ottoman Empire by Solomon the Magnificient by the Amasya Treaty signed on May 29th 1555. As a tribute of the Russo-Ottoman War of 1876-1877, Ardahan was left under control of Russians under the Treaty of Berlin signed on the 13th of July 1878 along with Kars and Batum provinces, which were all reclaimed and re-patched to the homeland by virtue of the Brest-Litowsk Treaty of 1918. On 30th of October 1918, however, the National Council Government set up in Ardahan, refused to obey the terms of the Armistice of Moudros and was recovered by Turkish armies marching under the command of Kazim Karabekir and Halit Pasha, upon joining the nationwide fight for independence. Lord Kazim Karabekir made his famous statement, which earmarked history, by saying "The Bosporus is our Throat and Kars and Ardahan our spine", where he made notion of how strategically important Ardahan is for the homeland.