Oltu Attractions

Oltu, about 115km/71mi northeast of Erzurum, grew up on the site of the Old Georgian and Byzantine fortress of Oukhti. Ruins of a church survive from this period. Also of interest are the town's Arslan Pasa Camii of 1664 and the Içkale Camii (inside the fort). The jet for which Oltu is famous, a deep black fossilized resin known as Oltu tas (also called "black diamond"), is found in the vicinity of Oltu Gölü northeast of the town. The deposits lie 150m/500ft below the surface at altitudes between 1,800 and 2,000m/5,900 and 6,500ft. The resin is plastic when in situ, hardening through contact with the air, and so is stored underground prior to processing. More than 300 craftsmen produce Oltu tas jewelry in the villages around Oltu alone, carrying on a tradition going back about 250 years.