Erzurum Travel Guide: Seljuk Monuments and Palandöken Snow
A high, cold city of twin minarets, black Oltu stone and long ski runs
In short: Erzurum sits on a high plateau in Eastern Anatolia at about 1,900 m, at the foot of the Palandöken Mountains. It is one of the coldest cities in Türkiye, and winter nights can drop to about −25 °C. Visitors come for its Seljuk and Ilkhanid monuments, skiing at Palandöken, right on the edge of town, and Oltu stone jewellery. The Touristic Eastern Express stops here for sightseeing on its way to Kars. The province has about 737,000 people (2025).
Last checked: 11 November 2026. Opening hours change, so check before you go. We don’t list prices.
Historic Erzurum
Follow our walking guide to Erzurum’s monuments for more detail.
- Çifte Minareli Medrese (Double Minaret Madrasa): a 13th-century Seljuk madrasa with twin fluted brick minarets above a carved portal. It is the largest open-courtyard, four-iwan madrasa in Anatolia, with the Hatuniye tomb behind it. Since 2014 it has been part of the “Anatolian Seljuks Madrasahs” entry on UNESCO’s Tentative List.
- Üç Kümbetler (Three Tombs): just south of Çifte Minareli. The largest, the octagonal Emir Saltuk tomb, is usually dated to the 12th century; the smaller ones are later.
- Yakutiye Medrese: built in 1310 under the Ilkhanids and named after the governor Hoca Yakut. It houses the Turkish-Islamic Arts and Ethnography Museum.
- Ulu Cami (Great Mosque): built in 1179 by the Saltukids.
- Erzurum Castle: a Byzantine fortress of the 5th century, altered by the Saltukids in the 12th century. Its old brick minaret later became a clock tower.
- Lala Mustafa Paşa Mosque: built in 1562–63 by the governor Lala Mustafa Paşa; its design is attributed to Mimar Sinan.
- Rüstem Paşa Bazaar (Taşhan): an Ottoman caravanserai of 1561, now full of workshops selling prayer beads and jewellery made of Oltu stone, a black jet mined around Oltu in Erzurum province.
- Erzurum Congress building: the Erzurum Congress met here in 1919, opening on 23 July. The building was closed to visitors in January 2026 for strengthening work, so check before you go.
Skiing: Palandöken and Konaklı
Compare all the resorts in our guide to skiing in Turkey.
- Palandöken: only about 10 minutes from the city centre, with runs from a base of about 2,100 m to over 3,000 m, and night skiing.
- 2011 Winter Universiade: Erzurum hosted the 2011 World University Winter Games. Alpine events were held at Konaklı, about 17–18 km from the city, and freestyle and snowboard at Palandöken.
- For more resorts, see our guide to Kars for Sarıkamış’s “crystal snow”.
Day trips from Erzurum
- Tortum Waterfall: Türkiye’s tallest waterfall, about 48 m, roughly 100 km north of the city in Uzundere district. It formed where landslide-dammed Lake Tortum overflows. It is at its fullest in May and June; for much of the year the flow is low because water is diverted to a power plant.
- Öşvank (Öşk Vank): a 10th-century Georgian monastery church, built 963–973, in Çamlıyamaç village, Uzundere.
- Narman fairy chimneys: red, iron-rich rock formations in Narman district. Unlike Cappadocia’s, they are sedimentary, not volcanic.
- Pasinler (Hasankale): about 40 km east of the city, with Hasankale Castle and the old Çobandede Bridge.
Food and culture
- Cağ kebabı: lamb roasted on a horizontal spit and sliced onto skewers. “Oltu Cağ Kebabı” is a registered geographical indication.
- Kadayıf dolması: shredded pastry filled with walnuts, fried and soaked in syrup.
- Also try: su böreği, ayran aşı (a yoghurt soup), tatar böreği and hıngel.
- Bar dance: Erzurum’s best-known group folk dance, performed to drum and zurna.
Getting there
- By air: Erzurum Airport is about 15 km from the centre, with flights from Istanbul, Ankara and other cities.
- By train: Erzurum station is on the Ankara–Kars line of the Eastern Express. The winter Touristic Eastern Express stops here for sightseeing on the way east.
- From Ankara: see our Ankara guide.
When to go
Winter brings deep cold and good skiing, roughly from December into spring; pack proper winter clothing. Late spring and summer are mild and green, and May–June is the time to see Tortum Waterfall at full flow.
Sources we checked (November 2026): Go Türkiye: Erzurum · Erzurum Culture and Tourism Directorate: places to visit · Wikipedia: Erzurum · Wikipedia: Çifte Minareli Medrese · NTV: Çifte Minareli and UNESCO (Turkish) · Wikipedia: Yakutiye Medrese · Archnet: Ulu Cami · Archnet: Three Tombs · Wikipedia: Erzurum Castle · TDV İslam Ansiklopedisi: Lala Mustafa Paşa (Turkish) · Wikipedia: Oltu stone · Cumhuriyet: Congress building closed (Turkish) · Wikipedia: Tortum Waterfall · Hürriyet Daily News: Tortum Waterfall · Hürriyet Daily News: Öşvank · Hürriyet Daily News: Narman · Wikipedia: 2011 Winter Universiade · Wikipedia: Palandöken · Erzurum Culture and Tourism Directorate: food (Turkish) · Wikipedia: Cağ kebabı · Wikipedia: Erzurum Airport
Erzurum: questions
What is Erzurum famous for?
Seljuk monuments such as the twin-minaret Çifte Minareli Medrese, skiing at Palandöken, cağ kebabı and black Oltu stone jewellery. It is also one of the coldest cities in Türkiye.
How far is Palandöken from Erzurum?
About 10 minutes from the city centre. Erzurum hosted the 2011 Winter Universiade, with events at Palandöken and nearby Konaklı.
When is the best time to see Tortum Waterfall?
May and June, when snowmelt fills it. For much of the year the flow is low because water is diverted to a power plant.
Does the Touristic Eastern Express stop in Erzurum?
Yes. Going east from Ankara to Kars, it makes sightseeing stops at Erzincan and Erzurum.
Header photo: Çifte Minareli Medrese in winter. Photo: Engin Mutlu 58, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (resized).
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