Erzurum (also Erzerum), city in eastern Turkey, capital of Erzurum Province. Located at the eastern end of a wide plain bordered by steep mountains, the city is about 1950 m (about 6400 ft) above sea level. It is traversed by the Korasuyu (Karasu) River. Erzurum is surrounded by earth fortifications, with some forts on the hills above it and others on a ridge facing the east. The city streets are narrow, and the houses are squat and constructed of gray volcanic rock. Erzurum is well known for handcrafted articles of leather and metal. An important railroad center, the city is situated in a fertile agricultural region in which wheat, barley, sugar beets, and vegetables are produced. It is the seat of Atatürk University (1957).
Erzurum has been identified as the ancient Armenian town of Garin Kalakh (Arabic Kalikale) and as Theodosiopolis, a city of the Byzantines in the 5th century AD. The Seljuk Turks captured the city in 1071, and the Ottoman Turks acquired it in 1515. The Russians captured and temporarily occupied Erzurum in 1828, 1878, and 1916. A Turkish nationalist congress, convened at Erzurum in 1919, indicated the resurgence of Turkey after World War I. Population (1996 estimate) 248,135.
