Tourists can also revel among breathtaking natural wonders such as the Tortum Waterfall -- the largest in Turkey.
The dish most emblematic of Erzurum is the mouth-watering marinated lamb meat on a rotating spit that is Cağ kebab.
Thicker than the better-known döner, this delicacy is cooked on a horizontal spit, thus retaining much more of its juice and flavor.
Erzurum also boasts sweets shredded kadayıf and burma desserts which are sought throughout Turkey as tasty treats to top off any meal.
*Burma dessert
With its namesake being the locality from which it is extracted, the ebony "Oltu" gemstone of Erzurum is known as the region's "black gold".
Hand-made jewelry and prayer beads are carefully carved from the Oltu in local and small workshops dotting the province.
*Prayer beads made of Oltu gemstone.
