Erzurum – Karin – Ancient Armenian City

Erzurum (the old Armenian name is Karin) is a city located in Historical Armenia, situated at an altitude of 1900 meters. Karin (Erzurum) is the capital of Armenia according to the Treaty of Sèvres.

Karin was founded in the 14th century BC by Qaranni (1400 – 1375 BC), the ruler of the Hayasa state. The ancient Greeks called the city Carano, and the Arabs, Kalikala.

Byzantine Emperor Theodosius II (reigned 401 – 450 AD) fortified the city and renamed it Theodosiopolis in 421 AD. In 502, the Persians temporarily took control of the city and did the same at the end of the 6th century, during which time most of the city’s inhabitants were resettled in Hamadan.

Since the early Middle Ages, Karin has been a prominent center of Armenian carpet weaving. In 1048-49, the neighboring ancient Armenian city of Artsn was sacked by the Persians, forcing its inhabitants to flee to Karin. The city was soon renamed Artsn-Rum (that is, Arzan from Rome, i.e., the Romans). Over time, the name of the city transformed into Erzurum.

In 1071, the Seljuk Turks captured the city and committed brutal massacres against its population. The Greek chronicler Skylitzes reported that during the capture of Erzurum, the Seljuk Turks killed 140,000 people. Although this number is likely an overestimate, it reflects the severe consequences of the Seljuk Turks’ siege on the local Armenian and Greek communities.

In 1201, the province of Erzurum, along with the city, was conquered by the Seljuks. In 1242, the city underwent a Mongol assault, resulting in the city being completely sacked.

In the following years, a 15th-century Spanish historian described Erzurum as follows: “The city was situated on a plateau, had a strong stone wall with towers, and a fortress. The city was not very populated, and there was a beautiful church. Previously, the city belonged to Christian Armenians and was mainly populated by them.”

In 1472, the region came under Persian control. However, the Turks conquered Erzurum in 1522. In July 1829, Erzurum briefly came under Russian control during the Russo-Turkish War of 1828-29, but soon returned to the Ottoman Empire in accordance with the September Treaty of Adrianople. Subsequently, the remnants of the Armenian population of Erzurum moved to the Russian Empire.

Vigen Avetisyan