Many centuries ago the majestic city of Ani, "the city of a thousand and one churches" among the most beautiful in Transcaucasia, was the capital of the Ani Armenian kingdom. The city reached its heyday in the 11th century: there were legends about its wealth and beauty. The entire Middle East knew about him and the Ani kingdom itself: caravan routes from India, China, and Europe converged here. However, partly because of this, Ani and surrounding areas were hundreds of times conquered and looted: by the 1300s, Ani was in decline and was completely abandoned by the 1700s.

How to get there

Nowadays the city of Ani belongs to the territory of Turkey: it lies in its northeast part bordering Armenia, in dozens kilometers from the city of Kars.

It will be necessary to get from Kars to the village of Odzakly , near which is Ani. Unfortunately, there is no way to do it on public transport in such a way as to have time to walk around the city and see its sights: the Turkish shuttle taxi "dolmush" goes there only once a day and goes back in a short time, which will not be enough for an excursion .

There are not so many options. You can take a taxi from Kars, which will be quite expensive, or to find a person described by several people who were there by the name of Jelil, an English speaker and - if you believe Lonely Planet - quite reliable. Jelil will drive you to his car in Ani and back for a very reasonable fee.

Hotels and boarding houses

There is no way to stay in Ani itself or nearby, in the village of Ojakly - it's quite tiny a small village, poor and without a single boarding house, where you could spend the night. All hotels are in Kars, the most famous of them is the Grand Ani Hotel. There are many others, but it is better to book the numbers in advance.

History Ani

Now no one knows exactly when the beautiful Armenian city of Ani was founded. Presumably this happened in the 5th century and for several centuries Ani belonged to the princes of Kamsarkan, and afterwards to Bagratidam.

In 961, the capital of Armenia was transferred from Kars to Ani, and in 1045 Ani from feudal ownership turned into a free city , an important political and industrial center. After that, his troubles began. First, it falls under the power of the Seljuk Turks, and then - during the 12-13 centuries - it is alternately seized by the Kurds and Georgians, and the Mongols that come after them and a strong earthquake ruin the city to its foundations.

Already in the 19-20 centuries, Ani becomes part of the Russian Empire. It is then that archaeologists begin to take an interest in the ancient city and its history. Now the city belongs to Turkey and, unfortunately, its part is in a closed territory, where you can not get to. But even those ruins of Ani that can be seen are immensely impressive and breathtaking.

Attractions Ani

One of the first to see the traveler's view is the fortress walls of Ani. They are very much destroyed, but towers that served many centuries ago for the defense of the city, even now impressive impressive power, especially if you look at the walls from the side of Kars. There are several gates here: 7 of them have partially survived, including the Lion Gate, which let the travelers into the city and serve as the beginning of its central street leading to the Inner Fortress.

Ani's main cathedral is considered a symbol of the city. When in 1064 the cathedral was captured by the Turks, it was converted into a mosque, and in 1124 it again became a Christian and was restored. But the strongest earthquakes brought down the dome of the cathedral first, and later left huge cracks in the walls. Seljuk Palace immediately catches the eye for how well it was preserved, or rather was restored by the adherents of the Islamic faith. Nearby you can see excavations of part of the city with partially preserved streets and residential buildings. Here is the Menujehir-Kamyi mosque built by the Seljuks.

The Redimer Church once represented a beautiful round building, but it was very badly damaged during the desolation of Ani and strong earthquakes. It was repaired and reinforced several times, but, alas, this can not stop the process of destruction. However, some frescos still survived.

The painting of St. Gregory the Illuminator Church is best preserved, as is the church itself. This is the church of the Georgian period of Ani and the frescoes covering its walls depict stories from the life of Jesus Christ and Gregory the Illuminator.

The Monastery of the Holy Virgin Hripsime was destroyed almost completely, except for a small chapel. Alas, you can not go to her now, she is in the border area. The access to the collapsed bridge of the Great Silk Road is also closed.

In Ani there is still some churches and temples of different degree of safety:

• The Church of the Apostles, rebuilt with the arrival of the Seljuks in the caravan-saray, combining the Muslim furnishings and the remnants of Christian symbols;
• Temple Ateshgede, the oldest building in the city, presumably built in the 1st century;
• The Georgian church, almost completely collapsed in the 19th century, except for one wall with bas-reliefs,
• Church of King Gagik, erected by order of this king in honor of the millennium from the birth of Christ.

There was in Ani and the "underground city", where the whole quarter was located - a complex of catacombs, which housed living quarters, churches and shops.

If there is a desire and transport to travel around the neighborhood of Ani, in his environment you will also find quite a few interesting churches, monasteries and castles, partially preserved, impressive with their greatness even now.

The ancient dead city of Ani is undoubtedly of interest to travelers who are fond of history and excavations. The breathing of lived centuries is felt everywhere, and this meeting face to face with giant layers of time can hardly leave anyone indifferent.

The northern walls of Ani, panorama

Ani's Cathedral

St. George's Cathedral

Inside the cathedral Ani