Bayburt

One of Turkey’s smallest provinces in terms of population, Bayburt is surprisingly rich in cultural heritage and rewarding to the independent traveller with a sense of adventure. The remains of an enormous Roman-era castle overlook the city of Bayburt, built around a U-turn in the Çoruh river. There are Selçuk mosques and tombs, caves and waterfalls and an undergound city that predates its better known cousin in Cappadocia. On a mountain top near the border with Erzurum province you’ll find the Baksı Museum – an Istanbul-based artist’s gift to his home village.