Early history
In ancient times, Erzurum existed under the Armenian name of Karin. During the reigns of theArtaxiad and Arsacid kings of Armenia, Karin served as the capital of the eponymous canton ofKarin. After the partition of Armenia between the Eastern Roman Empire and Sassanid Persia in 387 AD, the city passed into the hands of the Romans. They fortified the city and renamed it Theodosiopolis, after Emperor Theodosius I. As the chief military stronghold along the eastern border of the empire, Theodosiopolis held a highly important strategic location and was fiercely contested in wars between the Byzantines and Persians. Emperors Anastasius I and Justinian Iboth refortified the city and built new defenses during their reigns.
Middle Ages
Theodosiopolis was conquered by theUmayyad generalAbdallahibnAbd al-Malikin 700/701. It became the capital of the emirate of Ḳālīḳalā and was used as a base for raids into Byzantine territory. Though only an island of Arab power within Christian Armenian-populated territory, the native population was generally a reliable client of the Caliph's governors. As the power of the Caliphate declined, and the resurgence of Byzantium began, the local Armenian leaders preferred the city to be under the control of powerless Muslim emirs rather than powerful Byzantine emperors.
In 931, and again in 949, Byzantine forces led by TheophilosKourkouas, grandfather of the future emperor John I Tzimiskes, captured Theodosiopolis. Its Arab population was expelled and the city was resettled by Greeks and Armenians. Emperor Basil II rebuilt the city and its defenses in 1018 with the help of the local Armenian population. In 1071, after the decisive battle at Manzikert, theSeljuk Turks took possession of Theodosiopolis. The Saltukids were rulers of an Anatolian beylik(principality) centered in Erzurum, who ruled from 1071 to 1202. Melike Mama Hatun, sister of NâsırüddinMuhammed, was the ruler
