▁found ▁within ▁the ▁borders ▁of ▁the ▁region ▁of ▁V ok ' ag he ▁in ▁the ▁province ▁of ▁T ay k . ▁The ▁first ▁mention ▁of ▁O lt u ▁as ▁a ▁fort ified ▁settlement ▁is ▁in ▁the ▁ 9 th ▁century ▁when ▁the ▁Georg ian ▁Bag rat ids ▁occupied ▁this ▁region . ▁After ▁the ▁death ▁of ▁the ▁I ber ian ▁K urop al ates ▁David ▁in ▁ 1 0 0 0 , ▁the ▁troops ▁of ▁Emperor ▁Bas il ▁II ▁occupied ▁the ▁cast les ▁and ▁towns ▁in ▁the ▁region ▁of ▁T ao - T ay k <0xE2> <0x80> <0x9B> , ▁which ▁included ▁O lt u . ▁In ▁the ▁following ▁centuries , ▁O lt u ▁success ively ▁passed ▁into ▁the ▁control ▁of ▁the ▁Sel j uk ▁Tur ks , ▁the ▁Mong ols ▁and ▁Turk men ▁tribes . ▁The ▁Ott om ans ▁conquer ed ▁O lt i ▁from ▁the ▁Georg ians ▁in ▁the ▁six teenth ▁century . ▁ ▁In ▁summer ▁ 1 8 2 9 , ▁the ▁Rus si ans ▁took ▁control ▁of ▁the ▁region ▁but ▁rel in qu ished ▁it ▁to ▁the ▁Ott om ans . ▁During ▁the ▁Rus so - T urk ish ▁War ▁of ▁ 1 8 7 7 – 7 8 , ▁the ▁town ▁was ▁incorpor ated ▁into ▁the ▁Russian ▁Empire ▁and ▁made ▁a ▁part ▁of ▁K ars ▁O blast . ▁Prior ▁to ▁the ▁out ▁break ▁of ▁the ▁First ▁World ▁War ▁O lt i ▁had ▁a ▁population ▁of ▁ 2 , 3 7 3 . ▁In ▁last ▁months ▁of ▁ 1 9 1