The walls of Ani showing a defensive tower

Ani (Armenian: Անի, Latin: Abnicum^[1] ) is a ruined and uninhabited medieval city-site situated in the Turkish province of Kars, beside the border with Armenia. It was once the capital of a medieval Armenian kingdom that covered much of present day Armenia and eastern Turkey. The city is located on triangular site, visually dramatic and naturally defensive, protected on its eastern side by the ravine of the Akhurian River (Turkish: Arpaçay) and on its western side by the Bostanlar or Tzaghkotzadzor valley. The Akhurian is a branch of the Aras River and forms part of the current border between Turkey and Armenia. Called the "City of 1001 Churches", it stood on various trade routes and its many religious buildings, palaces, and fortifications were amongst the most technically and artistically advanced structures in the world.^[2][3] Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1754x1178, 444 KB) The picture shows the townwalls of Ani, the old Armenian capital. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1754x1178, 444 KB) The picture shows the townwalls of Ani, the old Armenian capital. ... Latin is an ancient Indo-European language originally spoken in Latium, the region immediately surrounding Rome. ... Kars is a province of Turkey, and is located in the northeastern part of the country, next to the border with Armenia. ... The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three ages: the classical civilization of Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and modern times. ... Akurian river and its basin (blue) within Armenia The Akhurian (Armenian: ; Turkish: ; Russian: ) is a river in the South Caucasus. ... The Aras (also known as Araks, Arax, Araxi, Araxes, Araz, or Yeraskh;Armenian: Ô±Ö€Õ¡Ö„Õ½, Azerbaijani: Araz, Persian: ارس, Kurdish: Aras or Araz) is a river located in and along the countries of Turkey, Iran, Armenia, and Azerbaijan. ... Religious architecture is the style and requirements followed for building religious buildings. ...

At the height of its glory, Ani had a population of 100,000 - 200,000 people and was the rival of Constantinople, Baghdad and Cairo. Long ago renowned for its splendor and magnificence, Ani has been abandoned and largely forgotten for centuries.^[1][4][5] Map of Constantinople. ... Baghdad (Arabic: ) is the capital of Iraq and of Baghdad Governorate. ... Nickname: Egypt: Site of Cairo (top center) Coordinates: Government  - Governor Dr. Abdul Azim Wazir Area  - City 214 km²  (82. ...

History

Armenian chroniclers first mention Ani in the 5th century AD. They describe it as a strong fortress built on a hilltop and a possession of the Armenian Kamsarakan dynasty. Kamsarakan refers to a region and family of the old Armenia c. ...

By the early 9th century the former territories of the Kamsarakans in Arsharunik and Shirak (including Ani) had been incorporated into the territories of the Armenian Bagratuni dynasty. Their leader, Ashot Msaker (Ashot the Meateater) (806-827) was given the title of ishkhan (prince) of Armenia by the Caliphate in 804.^[6] The Bagratids had their first capital at Bagaran, some 40km south of Ani, before moving it to Shirakavan, some 25km northeast of Ani, and then transferring it to Kars in the year 929. In 961 king Ashot III (953-977) transferred the capital from Kars to Ani. Ani expanded rapidly during the reign of King Smbat II (977-989). In 992 the Armenian Catholicosate moved its seat to Ani. By the start of the 11th century the population of Ani was well over 100 000, and its renown was such that it was known as "The city of forty gates" and "The city of a thousand and one churches". Ani did not lie along any previously important trade routes, but because of its size, power, and wealth it became an important trading hub. The Bagratuni or Bagratid royal dynasty of Armenia (Armenian: Բագրատունյաց Արքայական Տոհմ or Bagratunyac Arqayakan Tohm) is a royal family whose branches formerly ruled many regional polities, including Armenian lands of Syunik, Lori, Vaspurakan, Kars, Taron, and Tayk. ... A caliphate (from the Arabic خلافة or khilaafah), is the Islamic form of government representing the political unity and leadership of the Muslim world. ... Bagaran (Armenian: ) was a town and fortress located 5 kilometers west of the right bank of the Akhurian River, formerly a capital of Armenia. ... Shirakavan (Armenian: , also spelled Shirakawan) also known by the name Yerazgavors was a medieval Armenian town that, during the 9th century AD, served as the capital for the Bagratid kingdom of Armenia. ... Kars (Armenian: Կարս) is a city in northeast Turkey and the capital of the Kars Province, formerly at the head of a sanjak in the Turkish vilayet of Erzurum. ... Ashot III also known as Ashot the Gracious (953-977) was the king of Ani. ... Smbat II King of Armenia (977-990), son of Ashot III and ruled in Ani. ... This is a list of Catholicoi of Armenia: head bishops of the Armenian Apostolic Church. ...

Cathedral of Ani built by Trdat the Architect

Ani attained the peak of its power during the long reign of King Gagik I (989-1020). After his death his two sons quarrelled over the succession. The eldest son, Hovhannes (John) Smbat (1020-1041), gained control of Ani and his younger brother, Ashot (1020-1040), controlled other parts of the Bagratid kingdom. Hovhannes Smbat, fearing that the Byzantine Empire would attack his now weakened kingdom, made the Byzantine Emperor Basil his heir. In January 1022, the Catholicos Peter, handed over to Basil II who was wintering with his army in Trebizond a document from Hovhannes Smbat pledging his kingdom to the emperor in the event of his death.^[7] When Hovhannes Smbat died in 1041, the successor to Basil, Emperor Michael IV claimed sovereignty over Ani. The new king of Ani, Gagik II (1042-1045), opposed this and several Byzantine armies sent to capture Ani were repulsed. However, in 1045, after the capture of Ashot and at the instigation of pro-Byzantine elements amongst its population, Ani surrendered to Byzantine control. A Greek governor was installed in the city. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Mother Cathedral of Ani A far view of the Cathedral The Cathedral of Ani, built in A.D by the architect Trdat offers an example of a cruciform domed church within a rectangular plan, The Catholicosate was relocated to the Arkina district, in the suburbs of Ani, and in 990... Hagia Sophia Trdat the Architect (circa 950-1020) was chief architect of the Bagratuni Dynasty. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Hovhannes I was King of Ani (1020-1040). ... Byzantine Empire at its greatest extent c. ... Catholicos (plural Catholicoi) is a title used by the head bishop of any of certain Eastern churches. ... Painting of Basil II, from an 11th century manuscript. ... Trabzon, formerly known as Trebizond (Modern Greek: Τραπεζούντα, Trapezoúnta; Ancient Greek: , Trapezoûs), is a city on the Black Sea coast of northeastern Turkey and the capital of Trabzon Province. ... Seal of Gagik II as Duke of the thema of Charsianon Gagik II of Ani (Armenian: Գագիկ Բ) was the last Bagratuni King of Ani from 1042 to 1045. ...

Queen Tamara of Georgia

In 1064 a large Seljuk Turkish army, headed by Sultan Alp Arslan, attacked Ani and after a siege of 25 days they captured the city. In 1072 the Seljuks sold Ani to the Shaddadids, a Muslim Kurdish dynasty that had originated in Ganja. The Shaddadids generally pursued a conciliatory policy towards the city’s overwhelmingly Armenian and Christian population, and actually married several members of the Bagratid nobility. Whenever the Shaddadid governance became too intolerant, the population would appeal to the Christian kingdom of Georgia for help. The Georgians captured Ani in 1124,1161 and 1174, each time eventually returning it to the Shaddadids. Image File history File links Tamari2150. ... Image File history File links Tamari2150. ... Tamar (Georgian: თამარი; 1160–1213), from the House of Bagrationi, was Queen of the Kingdom of Georgia from 1184 to 1213. ... The Seljuqs (also Seldjuk, Seldjuq, Seljuk, sometimes also Seljuq Turks; in modern Turkish Selçuklular; in Persian سلجوقيان SaljÅ«qiyān; in Arabic سلجوق SaljÅ«q, or السلاجقة al-Salājiqa) were a dynasty that ruled parts of Central Asia and the Middle East from the 11th to 14th centuries. ... Muhammed ben Daud (1029 – December 15, 1072), the second sultan of the dynasty of Seljuk Turks, in Persia, and great-grandson of Seljuk, the founder of the dynasty. ... The Shaddadids were a Kurdish dynasty, who ruled in various parts of Armenia, including Arran from 951-1174 or 1199 A.D. They were established Dvin. ... Languages Kurdish Religions Predominantly Sunni Muslim also some Shia, Yazidism, Yarsan, Judaism, Christianity Related ethnic groups other Iranian peoples (Talysh Baluch Gilak Bakhtiari Persians) The Kurds are an ethnic group who consider themselves to be indigenous to a region often referred to as Kurdistan, an area which includes adjacent parts... For the city in Tajikistan, see Panj. ...

In the year 1199 (some sources^{[attribution needed]} say 1200) the forces of the Georgian queen Tamara captured Ani. The governorship of the city was given to Zakare and Ivane Mkhargrdzeli, two generals in her army. At Ani, this new dynasty is generally known as the Zakarids, after its founder Zakare, and they considered themselves to be the successors to the Bagratids. Prosperity quickly returned to Ani: its defences were strengthened and many new churches were constructed. Zakare was succeeded by his son Shahanshah. Zakarid Armenia Ca. ...

The Mongols unsuccessfully besieged Ani in 1226, but in 1236 they captured and sacked the city, massacring large numbers of its population. Ani had fallen when Shahanshah was absent. On his return the Zakarids continued to rule Ani, only now as vassals of the Mongols rather than the Georgians. Ani started its gradual but terminal decline during the Mongol period. By the 14th century the city was ruled by a succession of local Turkish dynasties, including the Jalayrids and the Kara Koyunlu (Black Sheep clan) who made Ani their capital. Tamerlane captured Ani in the 1380s. On his death the Kara Koyunlu regained control but transferred their capital to Yerevan. In 1441 the Armenian Catholicosate did the same. The Persian Safavids then ruled Ani until it became part of the Turkish Ottoman Empire in 1579. A small town remained within its walls at least until the middle 17th century, but the site was entirely abandoned by the middle of the 18th century. The depopulation of Ani was paralleled by the depopulation of its rural hinterland as a result of the yearly migrations of nomadic Kurdish tribes who would rob and murder the settled population at will. Expansion of the Mongol Empire Another picture of Mongol Empire The Mongol Empire (Mongolian: Их Монгол Улс, literally meaning Greater Mongol Nation; 1206–1405) was the largest contiguous land empire in history, covering over 33 million km² [1] (12 million square miles) at its peak, with an estimated population of over 100 million... The Karakoyunlu or the Black Sheep Turkomans (Azeri-Turkish: Qaraqoyunlular/Karakoyunlular) were a Turkoman tribal federation that ruled what is today Azerbaijan, including present-day northwestern Iran and Iraq from 1375 to 1468. ... Statue of Timur in Shahrisabz, Uzbekistan TÄ«mÅ«r bin Taraghay Barlas (Chagatai Turkic: تیمور - TÄ“mōr, iron) (1336 – February 1405) was a 14th-century warlord of Turco-Mongol descent[1][2][3][4], conqueror of much of Western and central Asia, and founder of the Timurid Empire (1370–1405... The Safavid Empire at its 1512 borders. ... Motto دولت ابد مدت Devlet-i Ebed-müddet (The Eternal State) Anthem Ottoman imperial anthem Borders in 1680, see: list of territories Capital Söğüt (1299–1326) Bursa (1326–65) Edirne (1365–1453) Constantinople (Ä°stanbul, 1453–1922) Language(s) Ottoman Turkish Government Monarchy Sultans  - 1281–1326 Osman I  - 1918–22 Mehmed VI...

Modern times

In the first half of the 19th century, European travellers discovered Ani for the outside world, publishing their descriptions in academic journals and travel accounts.

In 1878 the Kars region, including Ani, was incorporated into the territory of the Russian Empire. In 1892 the first archaeological excavations were conducted at Ani, sponsored by the St. Petersburg Academy of Scientists and supervised by the Russian archaeologist and orientalist Nikolai Marr (1864-1934). Marr's excavations at Ani resumed in 1904 and continued yearly until 1917. Large sectors of the city were professionally excavated, numerous buildings were uncovered and measured, the finds were studied and published in academic journals, guidebooks for the monuments and the museum were written, and the whole site was surveyed for the first time.^[8] Emergency repairs were also undertaken on those buildings that were most at risk of collapse. A museum was established to house the tens of thousands of items found during the excavations. This museum was housed in two buildings: the Minuchihr mosque, and a purpose-built stone building.^[9] Anthem God Save the Tsar! The Russian Empire in 1914 Capital Saint Petersburg Language(s) Russian Government Monarchy Emperor  - 1721-1725 Peter the Great (first)  - 1894-1917 Nicholas II (last) History  - Established 22 October, 1721  - February Revolution 2 March, 1917 Area  - 1897 22,400,000 km2 8,648,688 sq... Nikolay Yakovlevich Marr (1864-1934) was a controversial Soviet scholar whose monogenetic theory of language constituted the officially approved ideology of Soviet linguists until 1950, when Joseph Stalin personally slammed it as anti-scientific. ...

In 1918, during the latter stages of the First World War, the armies of the Ottoman Empire were fighting their way across the territory of the newly declared Republic of Armenia, capturing Kars in April 1918. At Ani, attempts were made to evacuate the artefacts contained in the museum as Turkish soldiers were approaching the site. About 6000 of the most portable items were removed by archaeologist Ashkharbek Kalantar, a participant of Marr's excavation campaigns; the saved items are currently in Yerevan's State Museum of Armenian History.^[10] Everything that was left behind was later looted or destroyed.^[11] Turkey's surrender at the end of World War 1 led to the restoration of Ani to Armenian control, but a resumed offensive against the Armenian Republic in 1920 resulted in Turkey's recapture of Ani. In 1921 the signing of the Treaty of Kars formalised the incorporation of the territory containing Ani into the Republic of Turkey. Ypres, 1917, in the vicinity of the Battle of Passchendaele. ... Kars (Armenian: Կարս) is a city in northeast Turkey and the capital of the Kars Province, formerly at the head of a sanjak in the Turkish vilayet of Erzurum. ... Soviet-Turkish border as per treaty The Treaty of Kars (Turkish: Kars Antlaşması, Russian: Карсский договор) was a friendship treaty[1] between TBMM, (which was declared Turkey in 1923), and the Soviet Union by the representatives of Russian SFSR, Azerbaijan SSR, Armenian SSR, Georgian SSR. It was signed in Kars on...

In May 1921 the Turkish National Assembly issued a command to the commander of the Eastern Front, Kazım Karabekir, ordering that the "monuments of Ani be wiped off the face of the earth".^[12] Karabekir records in his memoirs that he replied dismissively to this command,^[13] but the wiping-out of all traces of Marr's excavations and building repairs suggests that the command was partially carried out.^[14] The Grand National Assembly (Türkiye Büyük Millet Meclisi in Turkish) is the unicameral parliament of Turkey which carries out legislative functions. ... Musa Kazım Karabekir (1882, Ä°stanbul – January 26, 1948, Ankara) was a Turkish general and politician. ...

The church of St. Gregory of the Abughamrents and the citadel in the ruins of Ani

According to The Economist: Download high resolution version (1752x1192, 489 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Download high resolution version (1752x1192, 489 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Saint Gregory the Illuminator (in Armenian Gregor Lusarovitch, in Greek Gregarios Phoster or Photistes), the founder and patron saint of the Armenian Orthodox Church, was born about 257 AD. He belonged to the royal race of the Arsacides, being the son of a certain Prince Anak, who assassinated Chosroes of... The Economist is a weekly news and international affairs publication owned by The Economist Newspaper Ltd and edited in London, UK. It has been in continuous publication since September 1843. ...

Even as a ruin, Ani has been a disputed city. In 1921 when most of the site was ceded to Turkey, the Armenians were dismayed. They have since accused the Turks of neglecting the place in a spirit of chauvinism. The Turks retort that Ani's remains have been shaken by blasts from a quarry on the Armenian side of the border.^[3] A small cinder quarry A dimension stone quarry A quarry is a type of open-pit mine from which rock or minerals are extracted. ...

Another commentator describes:

Ani is now a ghost city, uninhabited for over three centuries and marooned inside a Turkish military zone on Turkey's border with modern Armenia. Ani's recent history has been one of continuous and always increasing destruction. Neglect, earthquakes, cultural cleansing, vandalism, quarrying, amateurish restorations and excavations - all these and more have taken a heavy toll on Ani's monuments.^[2] This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Vandalism is the conspicuous defacement or destruction of a structure, a symbol or anything else that goes against the will of the owner/governing body. ... Categories: Buildings and structures stubs ... The term archaeological excavation has a double meaning. ...

In the estimation of the Landmarks Foundation (a non-profit organization established for the protection of sacred sites) this ancient city: Landmarks Foundation, founded in 1997 and based in New York City, is a non-profit organization created to conserve sacred sites and landscapes around the world. ... A non-profit organization (abbreviated NPO, or non-profit or not-for-profit) is an organization whose primary objective is to support an issue or matter of private interest or public concern for non-commercial purposes, without concern for monetary profit. ...

needs to be protected regardless of whose jurisdiction it falls under. Earthquakes in 1319, 1832, and 1988, Army Target practice and general neglect all have had devastating effects on the architecture of the city. The city of Ani is a sacred place which needs ongoing protection.^[5] In law, jurisdiction (from the Latin ius, iuris meaning law and dicere meaning to speak) is the practical authority granted to a formally constituted legal body or to a political leader to deal with and make pronouncements on legal matters and, by implication, to administer justice within a defined area... Architecture (from Latin, architectura and ultimately from Greek, a master builder, from αρχι- chiefs, leader , builder, carpenter)[1] is the art and science of designing buildings and structures. ... In various religions, sacred (from Latin, sacrum, sacrifice) or holy, objects, places or concepts are believed by followers to be intimately connected with the supernatural, or divinity, and are thus greatly revered. ...

As a tourist site, Ani has been less than unwelcoming until recently. A traveler gives the following account from a few years ago: Tourists on Oʻahu, Hawaii Tourism is travel for predominantly recreational or leisure purposes, and also refers to the provision of services in support of this act. ...

Due to the proximity of the border, just as in Soviet days, visitors to Ani must first obtain permission from the tourist office in Kars. The lengthy procedure which is mentioned in many guidebooks has been shortcut and there is no need anymore to pay a visit to the police and the museum in Kars. Permit and entrance ticket are now issued at the Kars tourist office. The employees request the plate number of your car or taxi and try to sell you a packaged tour that they organize. This being the good news. The bad news is that, due to tensions with Armenia, photography is again strictly forbidden. When we arrived at Ani, all cameras had to remain in the car. During the visit, after a friendly body search, we were constantly escorted by border guards to ensure that no one went too close to the border.^[4] Photography [fÓ™tÉ‘grÓ™fi:],[foÊŠtÉ‘grÓ™fi:] is the process of recording pictures by means of capturing light on a light-sensitive medium, such as a film or sensor. ... Border Guard (Polish Straż Graniczna, SG) is a Polish military unit tasked with patrol of the Polish border. ...

Around 2004 these restrictions were relaxed and photography is now allowed.^[15]

Now, according to an author of Lonely Planet and Frommer's travel guides to Turkey: Lonely Planet logo Lonely Planet Publications (usually known as Lonely Planet or LP for short) claims to be the largest independently owned travel guidebook publisher in the world. ... Frommers is a renowned travel guidebook series and the bestselling travel guides in America. ...

Official permission to visit Ani is no longer needed. Just go to Ani and buy a ticket. If you don't have your own car, haggle with a taxi or minibus driver in Kars for the round-trip to Ani, perhaps sharing the cost with other travelers. If you have trouble, the Tourist Office may help. Plan to spend at least a half-day at Ani. It's not a bad idea to bring a picnic lunch and a water bottle.^[16]

Turkey's authorities now say they will do their best to conserve and develop the site and the culture ministry has listed Ani among the sites it is keenest to conserve. In the words of Mehmet Ufuk Erden, the local governor:

By restoring Ani, we'll make a contribution to humanity...We will start with one church and one mosque, and over time we will include every single monument.^[3] The Masjid al-Haram in Mecca as it exists today A mosque is a place of worship for followers of the Islamic faith. ...

A spokesperson for Global Heritage Fund (a Californian conservation group that helps to manage endangered historic sites) remarked that "Piecemeal restoration is no substitute for a master plan for Ani as a whole".^[3] A spokesperson (person could be replaced with the gender of the person), or spokesmodel is a person who speaks on behalf of others, but is understood not to be necessarily part of the others (e. ... Global Heritage Fund (GHF) is a non-profit organization that operates internationally to protect and preserve important cultural heritage sites in developing countries. ... Official language(s) English Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Area  Ranked 3rd  - Total 158,302 sq mi (410,000 km²)  - Width 250 miles (400 km)  - Length 770 miles (1,240 km)  - % water 4. ...

1885 engraving of Ani

Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 261 pixelsFull resolution (1200 × 392 pixel, file size: 157 KB, MIME type: image/gif) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): User:Russian F Ani ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 261 pixelsFull resolution (1200 × 392 pixel, file size: 157 KB, MIME type: image/gif) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): User:Russian F Ani ...

Monuments at Ani

All the structures at Ani are constructed using the local volcanic basalt, a sort of tufa stone. It is easily carved and comes in a variety of vibrant colours, from creamy yellow, to rose-red, to jet black. The most important surviving monuments are as follows:

Map of Ani.

Image File history File links Size of this preview: 606 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (700 × 693 pixel, file size: 75 KB, MIME type: image/gif) Map of Ani File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 606 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (700 × 693 pixel, file size: 75 KB, MIME type: image/gif) Map of Ani File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ...

The cathedral of Ani

Main article: Cathedral of Ani

Also known as Surp Asdvadzadzin (church of the Holy Mother of God), its construction was started in the year 989, under King Smbat II. Work was halted after his death, and was only finished in 1001 (or in 1010 under another reading of its building inscription). The design of the cathedral was the work of Trdat, the most celebrated architect of medieval Armenia. The cathedral is a domed basilica (the dome collaped in 1319). The interior contains several progressive features (such as the use of pointed arches and clustered piers) that give to it the appearance of Gothic architecture (a style which the Ani cathedral predates by several centuries).^[17] Mother Cathedral of Ani A far view of the Cathedral The Cathedral of Ani, built in A.D by the architect Trdat offers an example of a cruciform domed church within a rectangular plan, The Catholicosate was relocated to the Arkina district, in the suburbs of Ani, and in 990... Hagia Sophia Trdat the Architect (circa 950-1020) was chief architect of the Bagratuni Dynasty. ... Interior of Cologne Cathedral Gothic architecture is a style of architecture, particularly associated with cathedrals and other churches, which flourished in Europe during the high and late medieval period. ...

The church of St Gregory of Tigran Honents

Church of St. Gregory.

This church, finished in 1215, is the best-preserved monument at Ani. It was built during the rule of the Zakarids and was commissioned by a wealthy Armenian merchant named Tigran Honents. Its plan is of a type called a domed hall. In front of its entrance are the ruins of a narthex and a small chapel that are from a slightly later period. The exterior of the church is spectacularly decorated. Ornate carvings of real and imaginary animals fill the spandrels between blind arcade that runs around all four sides of the church. The interior contains an important and unique series of frescoes cycles that depict two main themes. In the eastern third of the church is depicted the Life of Saint Gregory the Illuminator, in the middle third of the church is depicted the Life of Christ. In the narthex and its chapel survive fragmentary frescoes that are more Byzantine in style.^[18] Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 387 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1143 × 1772 pixel, file size: 1. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 387 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1143 × 1772 pixel, file size: 1. ... Zakarid Armenia Ca. ... Saint Gregory the Illuminator (in Armenian Gregor Lusarovitch, in Greek Gregarios Phoster or Photistes), the founder and patron saint of the Armenian Orthodox Church, was born about 257 AD. He belonged to the royal race of the Arsacides, being the son of a certain Prince Anak, who assassinated Chosroes of...

The church of the Holy Redeemer

This church was completed shortly after the year 1035. It had a unique design: 19-sided externally, 8-apsed internally, with a huge central dome set upon a tall drum. It was built by Prince Ablgharib Pahlavid to house a fragment of the True Cross. The church was largely intact until 1955, when the entire eastern half collapsed during a storm.^[19] According to Christian tradition, the True Cross is the cross upon which Jesus was crucified. ...

The church of St Gregory of the Abughamrents

This small building probably dates from the late tenth century. It was built as a private chapel for the Pahlavuni family. Their mausoleum, built in 1040 and now reduced to its foundations, was constructed against the northern side of the church. The church has a centralised plan, with a dome over a drum, and the interior has six exedera.^[20]

King Gagik's church of St Gregory

Also known as the Gagikashen, this church was constructed between the years 1001 and 1005 and intended to be a recreation of the celebrated cathedral of Zvartnots at Vagharshapat. Nikolai Marr uncovered the foundations of this remarkable building in 1905 and 1906. Before that, all that was visible on the site was a huge earthen mound. The designer of the church was the architect Trdat. The church is known to have collapsed a relatively short time after its construction and houses were later constructed on top of its ruins. Trdat's design closely follows that of Zvartnotz in its size and in its plan (a quatrefoil core surrounded by a circular ambulatory).^[21] Zvartnots (Armenian: meaning celestial angels) is a town located in Armenian province of Armavir, about 10 km west from Yerevan, approximately half way to Echmiadzin. ... Categories: Stub | Tourist attractions in Armenia | Towns and Cities in Armenia | World Heritage Sites in Armenia ... Nikolay Yakovlevich Marr (1864-1934) was a controversial Soviet scholar whose monogenetic theory of language constituted the officially approved ideology of Soviet linguists until 1950, when Joseph Stalin personally slammed it as anti-scientific. ... Hagia Sophia Trdat the Architect (circa 950-1020) was chief architect of the Bagratuni Dynasty. ...

The church of the Holy Apostles

The date of its construction is not known, but the earliest dated inscription on its walls is from 1031. It was founded by the Pahlavuni family and was used by the archbishops of Ani (many of whom belonged to that dynasty). It has a plan of a type called an inscribed quatrefoil with corner chambers. Only fragments remain of the church, but a narthex with spectacular stonework, built against the south side of the church, is still partially intact. It dates from the early 13th century. A number of other halls, chapels, and shrines once surrounded this church: Nikolai Marr excavated their foundations in 1909, but they are now mostly destroyed.^[22]

The mosque of Minuchir

The mosque is named after its presumed founder, Minuchihr, the first member of the Shaddadid dynasty that ruled Ani after 1072. The oldest surviving part of the mosque is its still intact minaret. It has the Arabic word Bismillah ("In the name of God") in Kufic lettering high on its northern face. The prayer hall, half of which survives, dates from a later period (the 12th or 13th century). In 1906 the mosque was partially repaired in order for it to house a public museum containing objects found during Nikolai Marr's excavations.^[23] The Shaddadids were a Kurdish dynasty, who ruled in various parts of Armenia, including Arran from 951-1174 or 1199 A.D. They were established Dvin. ... Surah Al-Baqarah written in Kufic form. ...

The citadel

At the southern end of Ani is a flat-topped hill once known as Midjnaberd (the Inner Fortress). It has its own defensive walls that date back to the period when the Kamsarakan dynasty ruled Ani (7th C. AD). Nikolai Marr excavated the citadel hill in 1908 and 1909. He uncovered the extensive ruins of the palace of the Bagratid kings of Ani that occupied the highest part of the hill. Also inside the citadel are the visible ruins of three churches and several unidentified buildings. One of the churches, the "church of the palace" is the oldest surviving church in Ani, and dates from the 6th or 7th century. Marr undertook emergency repairs to this church, but most of it has now collapsed - probably during an earthquake in 1966.^[24] Kamsarakan refers to a region and family of the old Armenia c. ...

The city walls

A line of walls that encircled the entire city defended Ani. The most powerful defences were along the northern side of the city, the only part of the site not protected by rivers or ravines. Here the city is protected by a double line of walls, the much taller inner wall studded by numerous large and closely-space semicircular towers. Contemporary chroniclers wrote that King Smbat (977-989) built these walls. Later rulers strengthened Smbat's walls by making them substantially higher and thicker, and by adding more towers. Armenian inscriptions from the 12th and 13th century show that private individuals paid for some of these newer towers. The northern walls had three gateways, known as the Lion Gate, the Kars Gate, and the Dvin Gate (also known as the Chequer-Board Gate because of a panel of red and black stone squares over its entrance).^[25]

Other monuments

There are many other minor monuments at Ani. These include a convent known as the Virgins' chapel; a church used by Chalcedonian Armenians; the remains of a single-arched bridge over the Arpa river; the ruins of numerous oil-presses and several bath houses; the remains of a second mosque with a collapsed minaret; a palace that probably dates from the 13th century; the foundations of several other palaces and smaller residences; the recently excavated remains of several streets lined with shops; etc. The Chalcedonian churches are those Christian churches who follow the Christological teachings of the Council of Chalcedon, in contradistinction to Nestorians, Monophysites and Monothelites. ...

See also

• List of Kings of Ani

Abas I first king 928/929-953, son of Sembat I Nahadak (see Bagratid dynasty) and father of Mouchel, first king of Kars Achot III Olomurdz (son) 953-977 Sembat II Tiezerakal (son) 977-989 Gagik I of Ani (brother) 989-1020 Hovhannes I of Ani (son) 1020-1040/1041...

Notes

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References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Ani

• Cowe, S. Peter (2001). in S. Peter Cowe (ed.): ANI World Architectural Herritage of a Medieval Armenian Capital. 
• Kevorkian, Raymond (2001). in Raymond Kevorkian (ed.): Ani - Capitale de l'Arménie en l'An Mil. 
• Lynch, H.F.B. (1901). Armenia, Travels and Studies. 
• Marr, Nicolas Yacovlevich (2001). Ani - Rêve d'Arménie. 
• Minorsky, V. (1953). Studies in Caucasian History. 
• Paolo, Cuneo (1984). Documents of Armenian Architecture, volume 12: Ani. 
• Kalantar, Ashkharbek (1994). Armenia from the Stone Age to the Middle Ages. 
• Sinclair, Thomas Allen (1987). Eastern Turkey, an Architectural and Archeological Survey, volume 1. 

Image File history File links Commons-logo. ... The Wikimedia Commons (also called Wikicommons) is a repository of free content images, sound and other multimedia files. ... Nikolay Yakovlevich Marr (1864-1934) was a controversial Soviet scholar whose monogenetic theory of language constituted the officially approved ideology of Soviet linguists until 1950, when Joseph Stalin personally slammed it as anti-scientific. ...

External links

• Virtual Ani - has clickable maps, extensive history and photos

Coordinates: 40°30′27″N, 43°34′22″E Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ...