The national
resistance movement was commenced under the leadership of Mustafa Kemal Pacha,
who knows and takes the advantage of Turkish nation's character and that they
are ready to sacrifice their lives for the fatherland. Commencement of the
resistance movement in Eastern Anatolia is the result of farseeing decisions
taken by an absolute genius. 15.Army Corps under the command of Kazım KARABEKİR
pasha set into operation depending on the spiritual and temporal power of
a region determined to wipe the enemy off the East. They reached their target
in a short time and added Sarıkamış to the territory of motherland on 29th
September 1920. Under the command of Kazım KARABEKİR Pacha, Sarıkamış people
sent back the train carrying the dirks and mechanisms of the Turkish weapons,
which were dispatched to Batum, in Taşkesen Strait after a hard battle with
the English. These rescued weapons were sent back to Anatolia and played an
important role in the victory of the War of Independence.
Geographical Condition of Sarıkamış:
It is a charming district of the province of Kars in the Erzurum-Kars division
of the Eastern Anatolia region. It is surrounded by Kağızman district of Kars
in the east, Eleşkirt district of Ağrı (Ararat) in the south, Horasan district
of Erzurum in the southeast, Narman district of the same province in the west,
Şenkaya in the northwest, Selim district of Kars in the north, and central
districts of the same province in the northeast. It has two subdistricts called
Karakurt and Karaurgan, 61 villages and wards. Surface area: 2712 km² Population:
It is a total of 60,000 with the villages. The center of the district has
the population of 28,000. The district is between the high plateaus located
between Allah-ü Ekber, Soğanlı and Çamurlu Mountains. Altitudes of the most
of the mountains are nearly 3000mt. The most attractive part of the natural
plant cover is the Scotch pine forests. This is the main picnic and recreation
spot in Sarıkamış region. Especially the places like Soğuk Su (Cold Water),
Acı Su (Bitter Water), Şırşır and Keklik (Partridge) Brook are forest regions
with nice landscape and fresh air where the local people spend their holidays.
The most important streams are Kars Creek flowing down the Soğanlı Mountains
and Aras River passing through Karakurt subdistrict.
CLIMATE: The district of Sarıkamış has a severe terrestrial climate.
Winters are cold and very long. Summers are short and cool. The maximum fall
is in summer and the least is in winter.
PLANT COVER: The most prominent plant cover is the Scotch Pine Forests
that covers the entire district. There are also high plateaus and meadows
at the altitude of 2100m and higher.
SPORTS IN SARIKAMIŞ
Naturally most of the sports activities in Sarıkamış are orientated towards
winter sports. In addition to this, considering the climate, weather conditions,
and altitude of the region athletics, wrestling and local sports (jeered,
local horse races) are also performed. Sarıkamış have added lots of important
names to the sports literature. The most important are Mehmet YURDADÖN, the
champion of the Balkans and Europe, Özcan SELÇUK, and Tamer ÜSTÜNDAĞ. The
sport of skiing has become a family tradition in this region and it is continuously
developing. Sportsmen and trainers, trained by the skiing specialization club
in Sarıkamış are very successful in training the guests coming from Sarıkamış
and other places in the 6 pistes of different difficulty levels in Sarıkamış,
which has the longest and the most modern skiing facilities of Turkey.
LOCAL DISHES Kete, Tava Ketesi, Velibağ, Haşıl, Erişte, Kesme Soup,
Hangel.
FOLK DANCES
Most of the local dances of Kars are performed by boys and girls together.
Dances like Kıskanç, Enzeli, Terekeme, Askeran, Ceylan, and bars (a type of
folk dance) like Ağır Bar, Iğdır Barı, Papurisi, and Sarı Seyran are performed
by girls and boys together. There are also dances only performed by boys like
Şeyh Şamil, Şeker Oğlan, and Başaşçıları. The feet figures of the dance played
by girls with "nanay" are easy.