Cultural geographical view of Kars Selim district

Today, the subject of culture is handled by many disciplines and interpreted in different ways. In this master's thesis, the appearances of groups of people with different cultural backgrounds within the scope of geography are interpreted within the framework of natural environment-culture and in the Selim district. Selim district, which is the research area, is located in the Erzurum-Kars Section of the Eastern Anatolia Region, within the borders of Kars province. The district was established at an altitude of 1830 m, on a plateau area surrounded by low mountains. Elevation and slope conditions decrease from northwest to southeast. The settlements in the district, which consists of 53 village settlements, are mostly concentrated in plain areas. The most important water source of the district is Kars Stream, which extends in the east-west direction. Due to the high location of the district and the influence of the Siberian High Pressure Center, the winter months are quite cold and last for a long time. Accordingly, the summer months are cool and short-lived. The topography and climatic characteristics of the area have significantly affected and shaped the economic and social activities in the district. Due to the fact that Selim District is in the transition zone between the Caucasus and Anatolia, it has witnessed constant migrations, wars and the lifestyles of different groups of people. As a result of long years of interaction and the harsh conditions of natural life, cultural elements specific to the region have emerged. The aim of the study is to reveal which factors affect the geography of the culture of Selim district, located in the eastern border region, and to examine the culture-environment interaction and to establish a relationship with geography. The villages of Benliahmet, Sarıgün, Aşağı Kotanlı, Yenice, Koşapınar, Ağyar and Eskigeçit and Selim district center were selected as samples and interviews were conducted with the local residents in these settlements. It has been revealed that agriculture and animal husbandry activities in the district have shaped many views. Different cultural groups that have settled in the district from past to present have different perceptions of the environment they live in and have led to the formation of various cultural geographical views. These various views, shaped by the natural and human characteristics of the district, were deemed worthy of examination and research.