PALANDOKEN SKI CENTRE

There are many ski centres in Turkey such as Uludag, Kartalkaya, Elmadag, Ilgaz, Erciyes, Palandoken and Sarıkamış. Among these, Palandoken has a special place for winter sports. The Palandoken mountains are found in Erzurum in the Eastern Anatolia region.
Palandoken, a resort which is on the top of the list for experienced and professional skiers, also figures on the international circuit. Conditions in Palandoken are suitable for winter sports from December to June, and its seven kilometre-long course is Turkey's longest. The total ski slope length is 30 kilometres and is situated between 2,200 and 3,176 metres.
There are two chair lifts in the ski area and the Dedeman Hotel also has a ski lift. Palandoken is just a five-minute drive from Erzurum and 15 minutes from the airport, a convenience matched by none of Turkey's other winter sports centres.


Erzurum Congress is known as one of the cornerstones of the Turkish War of Independence. The fourth President of Turkey, Cemal Gürsel, was a native of Erzurum.
Erzurum offers winter tourism attactions and a major sking center at the Palandöken Mountains as well as its regional academic medical center, rich architectural historical sites and great monuments from the Seljuk period such as the Çifte Minareli Medrese. International University Sports Federation (FISU) World Winter Games, 2011 Winter Universiade, will be held in Erzurum.
One specialty of Erzurum's cuisine is Cag Kebab. Although this kebab variety is of recent introduction outside its native region, it is rapidly attaining wide-spread popularity around Turkey.
Erzurum, known as "The Rock" in NATO code, has served as NATO's southeasternmost air force post during the Cold War.
The city uses the double-headed Anatolian Seljuk Eagle as its Coat of Arms, which was based on the double-headed Byzantine Eagle that was a common symbol throughout Anatolia and the Balkans in the medieval period.