Kars, Turkey

Kars was the end of the line. We had boarded the 29-hour cross-country rail journey from Istanbul half-way, enjoying vistas of pasturelands on gentle hills that occasionally dropped off a cliff into the river. Alighting the train, we saw the town as a wet and windy backwater. Murky puddles and rubble obstructed the uneven footpaths, and the austere high-rises wore expressions that matched the stormy sky. We were here to visit the ruins of Ani on the Turkey-Armenia border, an hour's drive away, and Kars was to serve as a mere stop over. What else could this dirty, charmless town offer?

Kars was a Monét painting. We took advantage of a break in the rain to visit the kalesi viewpoint, and we looked down from its turrets, finally appreciating what we had read in the guide books. From afar, the austere apartment blocks were colourful pastel features of the town landscape, distinct from other Turkish towns, and curiously, mosques stood adjacent to Christian churches. Near the foot of the kalesi was a park, alive with locals enjoying a barbecue and brewing tea, and we understood that Kars was transforming. The street-level upheaval we muttered about were sidewalk and bridge renovations, new construction activities, and public space improvements. A few more years of work, and Kars itself would be worth more than two night's stay.

View of Kars from the kalesi