Holy Apostles Church

Holy Apostles Church

The Holy Apostles Church, commonly referred to as the Cathedral of Kars, is a 10th-century building situated in the center of Kars. Over the centuries, it has functioned as an Armenian Apostolic church, a Russian Orthodox cathedral, and later as a Turkish mosque.

Holy Apostles Church

In 1993, the church was transformed into a mosque and renamed the Kümbet Mosque. Currently, it forms part of a larger Islamic complex that also includes the Evliya Mosque, one of the most prominent mosques in Kars.

The church showcases a centralized design featuring a domed tetraconch, inspired by the seventh-century Church of Saint John in Mastara. The primary entrance is on the western facade, with two additional doorways on the southern and northern sides. From the outside, four dihedral angles extend from each cardinal direction, connecting to an octagonal section with seven further bays before culminating in a curved dome at the front or rear. The naves end at opposite sides and are distinctly visible from the exterior, where perpendicular walls extend about three meters beyond the outer walls, reflecting the internal structure. The four defined corners are formed by cylindrical squinches placed above a square base.

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