I would like it to be kept alive as a museum. Already the surrounding area is full of mosques. It is one of the two works that attracted attention with the castle as soon as it came to the historical area of Kars. Kümbet Mosque, formerly known as the 12 Apostles Church, is one of the important architectural monuments that have become the world-famous symbol of Kars in tourism. The construction of the church, which was started by the Armenian Bagrat King Abas in 932 AD, took about five years to complete. If you go to the Kaleiçi Neighborhood to visit this precious relic, which has a historical history of more than a thousand years, you will see that it is waiting for you to the south of the Kars Castle. History of the Church of the 12 Apostles The Kingdom of Bagratli, connected to the Bagrat Dynasty, was established in the 10th century BC. It is an Armenian-Georgian kingdom that ruled in and around Kars for a century and patronized the city of Ani. The 12 Apostles Church was built by King Abas to commemorate the 12 Apostles. For this reason, it has been one of the great places of importance for the Christian world during its period. According to some researchers, the real name of the 12 Apostles Church, which is a complete example of medieval architecture, is the Cathedral. It is claimed that until the nineteenth century, due to the reliefs found on the dome of the building mentioned as a Cathedral in many sources and considered to symbolize the 12 apostles, it later began to be referred to by this name. The 12 Apostles or the Cathedral is one of the places that continue to preserve its sanctity for Christians, which are visited by foreign tourists who come to Kars from all over the world today. History of Kars Kumbet Mosque The Seljuks entered Anatolia through the Caucasus in 1064, conquered Kars and converted the 12 Apostles church into a mosque. We can say that although many artifacts were destroyed in the region that was invaded by the Mongols before entering the Ottoman protectorate again, the Kumbet Mosque was hardly touched. Timur, who almost destroyed the Castle of Kars, perhaps because it was used as a mosque at that time, did not touch the Church of the 12 Apostles, that is, the Kümbet Mosque. after the Ottoman capture of the city in 1579, it began to be used as a mosque. Until the Ottoman-Russian war, known as the War of 93, the Kumbet Mosque was a sacred place where Muslims worshipped. After the Russians occupied the area, the church was converted once again. This time it will be used as an Orthodox Church. in 1918, Kars again fell into the hands of the Turks. 12 The Apostles / Cathedral is once again converted into a mosque. Immediately a year later, in 1919, with the withdrawal of the Turks from Kars, it was converted to its first function, the Armenian Church. in 1920, following the re-incorporation of Kars into the territory of the Republic of Turkey, it was once again converted into a mosque. it was used as a museum from the 1960s until 1981. it has been opened to the public as a mosque since 1993. 12 Apostles Church Architectural Plan The basalt stone used in the construction of the Apostles church is the common point of the ancient architecture of the region. We can say that smooth-cut basalt stone is one of the impressive elements of regional architecture with its color and tremendous masonry. The thousand-year-old 12 Apostles Church, which bears the characteristics of a typical Armenian church, opens with four niches Aproned with a round dome on a square ground plan. The dome rises from the central square, and four apses surround the dome. The main entrance door of the building remains to the west of the church; there is also an entrance door in the south and north directions. The lighting of the space is provided from the windows on the north-south facade. It is known as the Hagia Sophia of the East.

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