I am here in Bayburt for my uncle’s daughter’s wedding. Too many wedding drama etc but I took the opportunity to explore a few sites. The highlight was the Varzahan Monastery.
Bayburt is surrounded by several villages worth visiting for their historical, ethnographic, and natural attractions. Notably, these villages offer insights into traditional rural life, local crafts, and beautiful landscapes. The most prominent among them are:
Ethnographic and Historical Villages
Beşpınar Village (Kenan Yavuz Ethnography Museum)
Beşpınar hosts the award-winning Kenan Yavuz Ethnography Museum, dedicated to preserving and reviving the tangible and intangible village heritage of Bayburt and Anatolia.europeanforum+1
The museum offers interactive exhibits, showcases how villagers lived in past centuries, and hosts festivals, folk activities, and workshops celebrating Bayburt’s traditions and crafts.europeanheritageawards+1
Restoration of historic sites (including Armenian heritage) and documentation of old village names enhance its cultural value.europeanheritageawards
Masat Village (Dede Korkut Dome)
Masat houses the Dede Korkut Dome, a monument associated with the legendary figure Dede Korkut, central to Turkic folklore.visitturkey
The dome is a focal point during the annual Dede Korkut Culture and Art Festival, making Masat culturally significant in Bayburt.
Villages and Sites for Natural Beauty
Aydıntepe
Home to the Aydıntepe Underground City, an archaeological marvel with rock-cut galleries and chambers—these offer a unique perspective on ancient life and local geology.tripadvisor+1
General Rural Scenery
The region surrounding Bayburt features lush forests, rivers, and mountain landscapes ideal for nature-lovers, hiking, and eco-tourism.instagram+1
Waterfalls such as Sirakayalar, parks like Kop Dagi Mudafasi Milli Park, and the scenic Çoruh River are accessible from nearby villages.visitturkey+1
Practical Tips
Beşpınar and Masat villages are especially recommended for culture and history, while Aydıntepe is better suited for nature and archaeology.
Many villages host seasonal festivals, craft demonstrations, and offer opportunities to sample local foods and traditions.europeanforum+1
Most rural sites are accessible by car or arranged tours from Bayburt city.
These villages provide a genuine experience of Bayburt’s rural heritage, making them well worth including in any regional itinerary.tripadvisor+2
Of course, there are not many ruins left. The village of Uğrak was once a center of Armenian life, with at least seven churches. This site includes Varzahan churches in contemporary Uğrak village.
I have spent some days of my childhood in the house on the left, which my father’s dad built. He was a carpenter and he built this two-floor stone and wood house in the 1960s. Unfortunately, my uncles could not agree on the future of the house and this fantastic house is now abandoned.
We came for a wedding, but there was a funeral in my father’s village, so we ended up in the village’s mourning house. I don’t know anyone except my father.
Sinem was sick and couldn’t make it on this trip, so I flew with my father and mother for the 4-day trip.
The best Bayburt villages for historic architecture and ruins include Çayıryolu (Sünür), Varzahan, and several rural settlements documented for their vernacular house designs. These locations provide excellent examples of centuries-old mosques, mausoleums, ancient churches, and distinctive stone rural housing.dergipark+2
Recommended Villages
Çayıryolu (Sünür)
Features a historic mosque with a minaret dating back to 1676/77, a Persian-inscribed Ottoman repair record from 1550, and a ruin believed to be the tomb of Akkoyunlu ruler Kutlu Bey (d. 1389).wikipedia
Also contains the remains of a defensive tower historically significant for its connection to Mithridates’ retreat from Armenia.wikipedia
Varzahan
Located near Bayburt, Varzahan is famous for its ruined Armenian churches, dating possibly before the twelfth century, with striking features influenced by Byzantine, Georgian, and local Armenian designs.virtualani
The site is remarkable for its elegant decorations, distinct architectural typologies (octagonal and cross-shaped churches), and historic ties to a long-standing Armenian community.virtualani
Rural House Villages (Surveyed Group)
Research has documented unique stone-built rural houses in at least 11 Bayburt villages, showing traditional building techniques, environmental adaptations, and disappearing examples of finite Ottoman and Anatolian rural architecture.dergipark
These villages represent the organic development of rural dwellings, including unregistered heritage homes, narrow passageways, and old facades built with local stone.
Visiting Notes
Most of these villages retain traces of past empires (Ottoman, Armenian, Akkoyunlu) in their architecture, readily seen in old mosques, churches, mausoleums, and house clusters.dergipark+2
Restoration and conservation efforts vary by location—some heritage sites are abandoned, while others are actively documented through local surveys and university projects.dergipark
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Dear Erkan,I follow your diary with great interest.This piece about Bayburt and your roots there was no exception.
Thank you,and all the best
Gülperi Vutal(aka Faron Mix)
Oh thank you! I was recently wondering about you and was about to mail but you acted first!
Thank you once again.