Karin (or Garin) was a region of historic Armenia, roughly encompassing parts of the Erzurum and Muş Provinces in present-day Turkey.
[citation needed] In 1071, Seljuk Turks took possession of the city and carried out severe massacres of its population.
Greek chronicler John Skylitzes reported that during the seizure of Erzurum, the Seljuk Turks killed 140 thousand people.
[citation needed] Although this number is probably inflated, it reflects the heavy consequences of the Seljuk Turk siege on the local Armenian and Greek communities.
In later years, a 15th-century Spanish historian described Erzurum as: "The city was located on a plateau, had a strong stone wall with towers, as well as a fortress.