History and General Information / Local Legends and Folklore
Ardahan Yanık Mosque Martyrdom and Monument is a monument of national mourning and loyalty built in memory of hundreds of innocent civilian Muslim Turks who were burned alive by Russian occupation forces and Armenian Dashnak gangs in the mosque during the Caucasian Front of World War I in 1915. The stone wall ruins and the monument base of the historical mosque remaining from the fire are concrete evidence of the great atrocities experienced by the border city of Ardahan and the price of independence. In folk narratives, it is told with respect and tears that the cries rising from the mosque to the sky mixed with the waters of the Kura River, and with the prayers of the martyrs, Ardahan became the eternal Turkish homeland again on February 23, 1921. Geographical Structure, Altitude and Natural Features
It is located in Ardahan city center, in Halil Efendi District, on a plain near the banks of the Kura River, at an altitude of approximately 1,810 meters. In the cool mountain air of the high Eastern Anatolian plateau, surrounded by pines and birch trees, the area has a deep spiritual tranquility. Visiting Hours, Days and Entrance Fees
•Entrance Fee:Visiting the martyrs' cemetery is completely free.•Visiting Hours and Days (Mandatory): It is open to visitors 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.•Rules, Safety and Stroller/Disabled Access: Spiritual decorum, reverence and silence must be maintained at the Martyrs' Memorial site. It is fully wheelchair and stroller accessible thanks to smooth stone paths.•Facilities and Facilities:Martyrdom monument base, flagpoles, information boards and rest benches are available. Transportation, Public Transit Routes and Exact Location•Address / Open Location:Halil Efendi Mahallesi, Şehitlik Caddesi No:8, Merkez / Ardahan.•Road Condition and Vehicle Availability: 800 meters from Ardahan Castle and Congress Street; It can be easily reached by all kinds of passenger vehicles via the urban asphalt road.•Real Public Transportation Information (Mandatory): Halil Efendi minibuses in the city center pass in front of the martyrs' cemetery; It can be reached by walking from the center in 10 minutes.•Parking Availability:There is a free area around the monument where vehicles can park easily. Spiritual Visiting Etiquette and Commemoration Guidelines•Spiritual Visitation and Prayer Etiquette: Visitors should stand with decorum in front of the monument; Surahs Fatiha, Yasin and Ihlas should be read to the souls of innocent women, children and elderly people who were brutally martyred in the mosque.•Documentary & Respectful Shooting:Martyrdom inscriptions and monumental reliefs should be photographed with dignity; Casual selfies should be avoided.•Important Commemoration Days:Commemoration ceremonies are held on February 23, the Liberation of Ardahan, and March 18, Martyrs' Day, with the participation of the provincial protocol and citizens.•Local Spiritual Tradition:On commemoration days, traditional Ardahan kete, halva and tea are served to the participants and prayers are sent to the holy souls of our martyrs.