Kars Mountains

The high country around Kars rises between the valleys of the southern Caucasus and eastern Anatolia. The Allahuekber Mountains stand above a broad plateau cut by streams and smaller plains, while wooded slopes cover parts of the uplands farther south and east. Elevation and the distance from the sea bring severe winters to the region. The mountains and plateaus form a rugged transition between the upper river valleys and the plains around Kars, with passes threading through their long ridges.