Aşıkşenlik

Aşıkşenlik, formerly Yakınsu and historically Sukara, is a neighbourhood of the town Çıldır, Çıldır District, Ardahan Province, Turkey. Its population is 277 (2021). Before the 2013 reorganisation, it was a town (belde). It is populated by Karapapakhs.

Geography
Aşıkşenlik is 7 km from Çıldır, 45 km from Ardahan and 4 km from the Georgia border check point. It is situated in a high altitude wetland.

History
Aşıkşenlik is an old settlement. It was captured by Seljukid sultan Alp Arslan in 1064. After Harzemshah, Kipchaks and Mongols dominations it was annexed by the Ottoman sultan Süleyman I in 1546. According to Evliya Çelebi who lived in the 17th century, Aşıkşenlik (then known as Sukara) was one of the wealthiest towns of the Ottoman Empire in the east. In 1877 Russians captured Aşıkşenlik during the Russo-Turkish War (1877-1878). But in 1921 it was returned to Turkey.