Russian Tsar’s lodge in eastern Türkiye to be turned into hotel

A historical mansion that was commissioned by Tsar Nicholas II during the Tsarist Russia period in Türkiye's eastern Kars province will serve as a hotel after being restored in its original form.

The Catherina mansion, located in the Sarikamis district of Kars, was constructed in 1896 when the city fell under Russian occupation as a consequence of the Ottoman-Russian War of 1877-1878.

The mansion, which is thought to belong to Catherina, the wife of Russian Tsar Nicholas II, was actually built as a rehabilitation centre for the sick son of the Tsar, Aleksi.

The mansion was also used by the last Russian Tsar Nicholas II for hunting tours.

Having remained under Russian occupation for 40 years after the Ottoman-Russian War, the mansion was used for military purposes until 1994, and transferred to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

It has been idle since then.

Turgut Torunogullari, Chairperson of the Board of ORKA Hotels won the tender for the restoration of the historical building and started work on the restoration of the mansion.

“The mansion is in a very worn condition. We will find the way this mansion was built through its old photographs. When the mansion is restored, it will be faithful to its original," Torunogullari said.

Access to the mansion, which is four kilometres from the Cibiltepe Ski Center and one kilometre from the centre of Sarikamis, is provided through a forest path.