ERZERUM, erz'room, ERZEROUM, or ERZEROOM, Turkey, a city of Armenia, and, since the annexation of Kars by Russia, the chief strategical centre and place of resistance to a Russian advance, about 100 miles south west of Trebizond. Its fortifications have been repaired and much improved since 1864. The inhabitants consist of Turks, Armenians and Persians and are very industrious; and, in addi tion to important manufacture, especially in cop per and iron, carry on a very extensive trade. This is greatly favored by the position of the town, standing at the junction of several im portant roads leading from Transcaucasia by way of Trebizond, and communicating with dif ferent parts of Asia Minor, with Persia, Kur distan, Mesopotamia, etc. Erzerum is a place of great antiquity. Anatolius, commander of the Emperor Theodosius II, here built,the cit adel of Theodosiopolis, northwest of the open Syro-Armenian trading town of Arsen. On the destruction of this town by the Seljuks, in 1049, the inhabitants removed to Theodosiopo lis, which received from them the name of Arscn-er-Rum, that is, Arsen of the Romans.
Hence the modern name Erzerum. In 1241 it fell into the hands of the Mongols, and in 1517 into those of the Turks, notwithstanding whose mismanagement it continued to be the most important commercial emporium of the Arme nian plateau, and had a population of 100,000. In 1829 it was taken by the Russians, but was restored to Turkey by the Peace of Adrianople. Many of the inhabitants, however, quitted the town and settled in the Russian territory. In the winter of 1877 it was besieged by the Rus sians, who reduced the defenders by famine, until in February 1878 it was surrendered, and held by the Russians for several months. It was again, however, restored to the Turks. In • the European War Erzerum fell a prize to the armies of the Grand Duke Nicolas, on 16 Feb. 1916, after an assault lasting five days. Turk ish prisoners to the number of 13,000 were taken and 323 pieces of cannon. See WAR, EUROPEAN.