Erzurum (ĕrˈzŏrŏmˌ) [key] or Erzerum –zə–, city (1990 pop. 241,344), capital of Erzurum prov., E Turkey. It is an agricultural trade center and a railroad center. Agricultural products include sugar beets, wheat, barley, and vegetables. Metal and leather handicrafts are also produced. Although its origins are obscure, the city was known in the 5th cent. A.D. as Theodosiopolis, an important Byzantine frontier fortress. It was later held by various peoples, including the Armenians, Persians, and Seljuk Turks, before being captured by the Ottoman Turks in the early 16th cent. The first Turkish Nationalist congress was held there in 1919. In 1983 an earthquake caused extensive damage in and around the city and killed more than 1,300 people. It is the site of Atatürk Univ.
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