The picture shows the townwalls of Ani.

Ani (Armenian: Անի), known to Romans as Abnicum, is a ruined capital of medieval Armenia, now situated in the Turkish province of Kars, immediately south of the Turko-Armenian frontier, at an altitude of 4390 ft. It is located near the Arpaçay Brook, itself a branch of the Aras River that constitutes the border between Armenia and Turkey. 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. ... The Roman Empire is the name given to both the imperial domain developed by the city-state of Rome and also the corresponding phase of that civilization, characterized by an autocratic form of government. ... Kars (Armenian: Ô¿Õ¡Ö€Õ½) 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. ... Aras, Araks, Arax, Araxes, or Araz (Persian: ارس, Azerbaijani: Araz), is a river rising in Anatolia in Turkey, flowing along the Turkey-Armenia border, then along the Azerbaijan-Iran border, entering Azerbaijan, and falling into Kura river as a right tributary. ...

History

In the 10th century the town of Ani was expanded into a major city by Ashot III, who made it the capital of Armenia under the Bagratid Dynasty in 961. When it was handed over to the Byzantine Empire in 1045, it was a populous city with as many as 100,000 inhabitants, known traditionally as the "city with the 1001 churches". It was then occupied by the Seljuk Turks in 1064, coming under Turkmen sovereignty later. It was then taken five times by the Georgians between 1125 and 1209, by the Mongols in 1239, and its ruin was completed by an earthquake in 1319. It was slowly abandoned after the 14th century, becoming dominated by the Ottoman Empire and Turkey after 1534. ... Events Byzantine Empire recaptures Crete from Muslim control Ani made the capital of Armenia by the Bagratid dynasty Haakon I of Norway squashed the rebelling forces of Eric Bloodaxes sons but was killed in the Battle of Fitje. ... The Byzantine Empire (Greek name: - Basileia tōn Romaiōn) is the term conventionally used since the 19th century to describe the Greek-speaking Roman Empire of the Middle Ages, centered around its capital of Constantinople. ... Events Emperor Go-Reizei ascends the throne of Japan. ... The Seljuk coat of arms was a double headed eagle The Seljuk Turks (also Seldjuk, Seldjuq, Seljuq; in modern Turkish Selçuklular; in Persian سلجوقيان SaljÅ«qiyān; in Arabic سلجوق SaljÅ«q, or السلاجقة al-Salājiqa) were a major branch of the Oghuz Turks and a dynasty that ruled parts of... Events May 23 - Lothair of Saxony becomes Holy Roman Emperor on the death of Henry V. War ends between Toulouse and Provence. ... Events Albigensian Crusade against Cathars (1209-1218) the Franciscans are founded. ... // Events Births June 17 - King Edward I of England (died 1307) December 17 - Kujo Yoritsugu, Japanese shogun (died 1256) Peter III of Aragon (died 1285) John II, Duke of Brittany (died 1305) Ippen, Japanese monk (died 1289) Deaths March 3 - Vladimir III Rurikovich, Grand Prince of Kiev (born 1187) March... An earthquake is a phenomenon that results from and is powered by the sudden release of stored energy in the crust that propagates seismic waves. ... Events Magnus VII ascends the throne of Norway and unites the country with Sweden. ... This 14th-century statue from south India depicts the gods Shiva (on the left) and Uma (on the right). ... Motto: دولت ابد مدت Devlet-i Ebed-müddet (The Eternal State) Anthem: Ottoman imperial anthem At the height of its power (1683) Capital Söğüt (1299-1326) Bursa (1326-1365) Edirne (1365-1453) Constantinople (Istanbul) (1453-1922) Language(s) Ottoman Turkish Government Monarchy Sultans  - 1281–1326 Osman I  - 1918–1922 Mehmed VI... 1534 (MDXXXIV) was a common year in the 16th century. ...

Ani, Church of Saint Gregory and Citadel

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. ...

Archaeology

It was during a brief period of Russian rule, from 1878 to 1917, that scientific investigation of the site was made possible. The first excavations were conducted by Georgian historian Nikolai Marr. 1878 (MDCCCLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... 1917 (MCMXVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar (see link for calendar) or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 13-day slower Julian calendar. ... 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. ...

The city is renowned for its well-preserved ruins of medieval Armenian architecture, although the ruins are threatened by Turkish plans to "rebuild", which don't seriously consider the architectural continuity of the ruins. It is still surrounded by a double wall, partly in ruins. Among the remains are a "patriarchal" church (or Church of St. Gregory the Illuminator) finished in 1010, two churches (St. Patrick's Church, constructed 1034-1036 and The Arak'elto Church, dating from 1031), a fourth known as the Virgin Mary Cathedral dating from 1215, and a large Seljuk palace which is probably a product of the 11th century. 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... Events The Ly Dynasty in Vietnam is established (or 1009). ... Events April 11 - Empress Zoe of Byzantium marries her chamberlain and elevates him to the throne of the Eastern Roman Empire as Michael IV. Franche-Comté becomes subject to the Holy Roman Empire. ... Events Emperor Go-Suzaku ascends the throne of Japan. ... Events Collapse of the Moorish Caliphate of Córdoba. ... // Events A certified copy of the Magna Carta June 15 - King John of England forced to put his seal to the Magna Carta, outlining the rights of landowning men (nobles and knights) and restricting the kings power. ... The Seljuk coat of arms was a double headed eagle The Seljuk Turks (also Seldjuk, Seldjuq, Seljuq; in modern Turkish Selçuklular; in Persian سلجوقيان SaljÅ«qiyān; in Arabic سلجوق SaljÅ«q, or السلاجقة al-Salājiqa) were a major branch of the Oghuz Turks and a dynasty that ruled parts of...

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Ani

• List of Kings of Ani

Image File history File links Commons-logo. ... Wikimedia Commons logo by Reid Beels The Wikimedia Commons (also called Commons or Wikicommons) is a repository of free content images, sound and other multimedia files. ... 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...

References

• Kinzer, Stephen (8 October 2000) "A hidden empire in Turkey: Ani, the seat of Armenian royalty 1,000 years ago, is one of the ancient landmarks in a newly accessible region." The New York Times Travel p.10;

External links

• Virtual Ani
• Ani Guide and Photo Album
• Some additional historical details

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. ...