POSOF

'Posof' is a district of Ardahan Province of Turkey, in the far east of the country, on the border with Georgia, 75km from the city of Ardahan.
Formerly named "Duğur".

Contents

Geography

History

Geography

Posof is high in the mountains near the source of the River Çoruh, much of the district is pine forest.

History

In 1064 the Seljuk Turkish Sultan Alparslan besieged Kol castle while passing over Mount Arşiyan to conquer the city of Ani. By 1080 the Georgians had been removed and the area was in the hands of the Seljuks.
During the First World War and the Turkish War of Independence in the 1920s Posof was the scene of fighting between Turkey and Russia.
Today this is an impoverished rural area that has seen many of its residents migrate to jobs abroad. One source of income is beekeeping.