Kars (Turkish Kars, Armenian Կարս, Ottoman قارص‎) is a city in eastern Turkey, the administrative center of Kars silt. From 928 to 961 it was the capital of the Armenian kingdom of the Bagratids, from 963 to 1065 it was the capital of the Armenian kingdom of Kars.

History
There are suggestions that Kars was founded in the 4th century, however, stable references to the city are found in Armenian and Byzantine chronicles starting from the 9th century.
Kars was of great importance in the state and public life of medieval Armenia; it was the center of the Vanand province of the Ayrarat region. The city was also a major center of crafts and trade; international trade routes passed through it. In 928-961. was the capital of Armenia, in 961 the Armenian king Ashot III transferred the capital to Ani. After that, in the X-XI centuries, Kars remained the capital of the Armenian Vanand or Kars kingdom (Arm. Կարս), which was ruled by the younger branch of the Armenian royal Bagratid dynasty.
Fortress of Kars, Ottoman Empire, in the 1850s.
In 1064, the Kingdom of Kars was annexed to Byzantium, and later conquered by the Seljuks. During the period of the Seljuk hegemony, the majority of the population of the city continued to be Armenians. In 1206, together with a part of Northern Armenia, it was liberated by the Armenian-Georgian troops and became part of the possessions of the Zakarian family within the Georgian kingdom. In the 16th century, it was captured by Turkey, which turned it into a stronghold for spreading its influence in the Transcaucasus.

19th century
Во время русско-турецких войн 19th centuryа крепость Карс стала одним из главных объектов борьбы на Кавказском театре военных действий.

Russian-Turkish war (1806-1812)
In 1807, Russian troops under the command of General Nesvetaev, pursuing the Turks, went to Kars and launched an assault, but soon a categorical order from Count Gudovich was received “not to undertake expeditions to the fortress itself, if you are not sure about surrender, so that in a decisive matter, what is the assault, not suffer a great loss in people. Nesvetaev decided not to take risks and withdrew troops to the village of Paldyran, and then to Gumry.

Russian-Turkish war (1828-1829)
In 1828, the city was stormed by Russian troops during the Russian-Turkish war of 1828-1829. Returned to Turkey under the Treaty of Adrianople (1829).

Crimean War
In 1855, during the Crimean War, the Turkish city garrison under command of Ishmael Pasha repulsed the attacks of the Russian troops, but after a five-month siege he capitulated due to hunger.
As a result of the Crimean War, at the signing of a peace treaty, the city was returned to Turkey.

Entry into the Russian Empire
In November 1877, Kars was taken by Russian troops as a result of a swift assault and, according to the San Stefano Peace Treaty of 1878, went to Russia.
In 1878-1917. Kars is the center of the Kars region of the Russian Empire. The outskirts of the city were actively settled by Russian settlers, in particular, Molokans.

20th century
According to the Brest Treaty of 1918, it was ceded to Turkey along with the districts of Batum and Ardagan.
After the defeat in the First World War, the Turks left Kars, and the English troops entered the city. In May, Kars was handed over to the Republic of Armenia and a significant number of Armenians returned to their hometown.
In 1920 Kars was occupied by Turkish troops. According to the Kars Treaty of 1921, it became part of Turkey. Under pressure from Soviet Russia, the Government of Armenia was forced to sign the Treaty of Kars in 1921.
On May 30, 1953, the USSR renounced territorial claims to Turkey, in particular, to the city of Kars.

Climate
Located at an altitude of 1760 meters, Kars has a mountainous climate with continental features. Kars is one of the coldest cities in Turkey. The winter is severe, although relatively little snow, the summer is short, with warm, sometimes hot days, but always cold nights. Spring is very long, frosts persist until the end of May, but are possible even in June. Autumn comes early.

Population
At the beginning of the XIX century. there were 850 houses here, including 600 Armenian (71%).
After the Russian-Turkish war of 1828-1829. most of the Armenian population of the Kars pashalik and the city itself, with a total number of 2464 families (about 15 thousand people) moved to the territories of Eastern Armenia annexed to Russia, while the inhabitants of the city of Kars numbering 600 families (about 3600 people) settled in Gyumri (with 1837 – Alexandropol).
In 1886, the population of Kars was only 3939 people, including Armenians – 2483 (63%), Turks – 841 (21.3%), Greeks – 319 (8%), Russians -247 (6%).
According to the census of the Russian Empire in 1897, the population of the city is 20,805 people, of which (in their native language) 10,305 (49.6%) Armenians, 3,483 (16.7%) Russians (Great Russians), 1,914 (9.1%) Ukrainians (Little Russians), 1 084 (5.2%) Poles, 786 (3.7%) Turks, 733 (3.5%) Greeks and others. Moreover, almost all Ukrainians, Poles and 79.3% of Russians were men.
By 1914, due to the natural increase and partial influx of Armenians and other Christians from the Ottoman Empire, Armenians already constituted the vast majority of the population of Kars. So, after the decree of Prince Golitsyn, the head of the Caucasus in 1901, on the transfer to Russian citizenship of Armenian refugees who escaped the Hamid massacre in the Russian Empire, and their forced deportation in case of not accepting citizenship, 10,082 Armenian refugees who settled in Karse.

According to the Caucasian calendar for 1915, the population of Kars by 1914 was 30,086 people, of which 25,252 Armenians (24,112 Gregorian Armenians and 1,140 Catholic Armenians) or more than 83% of the population, Orthodox – 734 (2,4%), Russian sectarians – 735 (2.4%), Turks – 1209 (4%), Asian Christians (mainly Nestorian-Assyrians) – 1781 (6%), Shiites – 260 people, Jews 25, Poles and Germans- 51, Kurds-39.
After the conquest by Turkish troops in 1918-1920, most of the population were killed or became refugees.
Currently, 20% of the city’s population are ethnic Azerbaijanis. Azerbaijanis live mainly in the quarters (mahalla) of Yenimahalla and Istasion. Here, among the Azerbaijanis, the following groups are distinguished: Molla Musalylar, Karakiliseliler, Kulubegliler and Chobankerelilerdiler. These names reflect the names of the regions and villages where they come from.