| Göle | |
|---|---|
| — City and district — | |
| Location of Göle within Turkey. | |
| Country | Turkey |
| Region | Eastern Anatolia |
| Province | Ardahan |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Sabri Muratoğlu (AKP) |
| Area | |
| • Total | 1,420 km2 (548.3 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 2,050 m (6,726 ft) |
| Population (2009) | |
| • Total | 6,231 |
| Time zone | EET (UTC+2) |
| • Summer (DST) | EEST (UTC+3) |
| Postal code | 75xxx |
| Area code(s) | (0090)+ 478 |
| Licence plate | 75 |
Göle (Georgian: Kola (კოლა - k'ola)) is a small city and surrounding district in Ardahan Province of Turkey. The city was formerly known as Merdenik, Merdinik or Ardahan-ı Küçük (Little Ardahan in Ottoman Turkish).
Göle is a rural district, 80% of the area is mountain and forest with the remainder grazing land and meadow; the local economy depends on this grazing. Göle is famous for its yellow kaşar cheese. Some crops are grown, including grains and potatoes. With the high Allahuekber mountains to the south Göle is exposed to the north; winters are eight months long and extremely cold (minus 30 Celsius is quite normal), summer is one month of dry weather.
Part of the Ottoman Empire from 1561, Göle was briefly occupied by Russia in the late 19th century and again during the First World War, finally becoming part of the Republic of Turkey on September 30, 1920 after Armenian occupation between 1919-1920.
There are a number of places of interest to visitors, including the tomb and mosque in the village of Dedeşen and the castles of Kalecik and Ugurtaşı.
There are several hotels in the town.
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