Between 961 and 1045, it was thecapital of theBagratid Armenian kingdom that covered much of present-day Armenia and eastern Turkey. The iconic city was often referred to as the "City of 1,001 Churches," though the number was significantly less. To date, 50 churches, 33 cave chapels and 20 chapels have been excavated by archaeologists and historians.[5][7][8] Ani stood on various trade routes and its manyreligious buildings, palaces, and sophisticated fortifications distinguished it from other contemporary urban centers in the Armenian kingdom. Among its most notable buildings was theCathedral of Ani, which is associated with early examples ofGothic architecture and that scholars argue influenced the great cathedrals of Europe in the early gothic and Romanesque styles; its ribbed vaulting would not be seen in European cathedrals for at least another two centuries.[9][10] At its height, Ani was one of the world's largest cities,[11] with a population of well over 100,000, though this seems highly optimistic given its limited area.[12]
Renowned for its splendor, Ani was sacked by the Mongols in 1236. Ani never recovered from a devastating 1319 earthquake and, more significantly, from the shifting of regional trade routes, and was abandoned by the 17th century.[13][14] Ani is a widely recognized cultural, religious, and national heritage symbol for Armenians.[15] According toRazmik Panossian, Ani is one of the most visible and ‘tangible’ symbols of past Armenian greatness and hence a source of pride.[16] In 2016, it was added onto theUNESCO World Heritage List.[17] After two decades of continuous international efforts, Ani Archaeological Site has transformed from a seat of conflict and geopolitical instability to a center of cultural tourism that might foster cultural exchange and deepening historical understanding.[18]
The city took its name from the Armenian fortress-city and pre-Christian religious center ofAni-Kamakh located in the region ofDaranaghi inUpper Armenia.[12] Ani was also previously known asKhnamk, although historians are uncertain as to why it was called so; according to philologist and ArmenologistHeinrich Hübschmann, this name has nothing to do with the ordinary Armenian verbkhnamel ("to care for").[12] According to the second edition of theEncyclopedia of Islam: "A suggestion has been made that the town may owe its name to a temple of theIranian goddessAnāhita (the Greek Anaďtis)".[6] The Turkish government previously attempted to obscure the name of the town asAnı in order to give it a "more Turkish character".[19]
The city is located on a triangular site, visually dramatic and naturally defensive, protected on its eastern side by the ravine of theAkhurian River and on its western side by theBostanlar, or Tsaghkotsadzor, valley.[4] The Akhurian is a branch of theAraks River[4] and forms part of the currently closed border between Turkey and Armenia. The site is at an elevation of around 1,340 meters (4,400 ft).[5]
The site is located in the Turkish province ofKars.[20] Kars is currently an important center for local livestock trades and cheese production.[20] It is linked by railroad with many importantTurkish cities and is also considered to be an important military site due to its positioning near Turkey's border with Armenia.[20] Ani is about 400 m (1,300 ft) from the Turkey-Armenia border. Across the border is theArmenian village of Kharkov, part ofShirak Province.
Armenian chroniclers such asYeghishe andGhazar Parpetsi first mentioned Ani in the 5th century.[12] They described it as a strong fortress built on a hilltop and a possession of the ArmenianKamsarakan dynasty.
By the early 9th century, the former territories of the Kamsarakans inArsharunik andShirak (including Ani) had been incorporated into the territories of the ArmenianBagratuni dynasty.[21] The Bagratuni dynasty was the second notable dynasty in theArmenian kingdom.[22] They secured their independence from theArabs near the end of the 9th century after being controlled by thePersians andUmayyad Arabs for many years at this point.[22] The king of Bagratid Armenia that led to this independence wasAshot I.[22] He had a short-lived position as the king of the Bagratid dynasty, however, the impact of securing the freedom of the dynasty would last for many years.[22] His son,Smbat I, ruled directly after he did.[22] The Bagratid dynasty consisted of many sub-kingdoms, the most notable of which were theKingdom of Kars, Lori,Syunik,Artsakh, andVaspurakan.[22]
Bas-relief of aleopard with a cross above it from the gates of Ani, believed to be the symbol of the city or of theBagratuni dynasty.[23][24]
The Bagratuni dynasty led to some of the most notable works of art and architecture in Armenia's history, one of which being theCathedral of Ani.[22] The leader of the Bagratid dynasty,AshotMsaker (Ashot the Meateater) (806–827) was given the title ofishkhan (prince) of Armenia by theCaliphate in 804.[25] The Bagratunis had their first capital atBagaran, some 40 km (25 mi) south of Ani, before moving it toShirakavan, some 25 km (16 mi) northeast of Ani, and then transferring it toKars in the year 929. In 961, kingAshot III (953–77) transferred the capital from Kars to Ani.[5] Ani expanded rapidly during the reign of KingSmbat II (977–89). In 992 theArmenian Catholicosate moved its seat to Ani. In the 10th century the population was perhaps 50,000–100,000.[26] Scholars conventionally put the population of Ani at around 100,000.[27][28] Lucy Der Manuelian noted that the figure, first reported byMatthew of Edessa, has been questioned by modern scholars, butNikolai Marr, who excavated the site, noted that "most of the people probably lived just outside the walls."Hakob Manandyan noted that Ani's population was "unquestionably more than that of contemporary cities in Western Europe."[29]
Its renown was such that it was known as the "city of forty gates" and the "city of a thousand and one churches." Ani also became the site of the royal mausoleum of Bagratuni kings.[30]
Ani attained the peak of its power during the long reign of KingGagik I (989–1020). After his death his two sons quarreled over the succession. The eldest son,Hovhannes-Smbat (1020–41), gained control of Ani while his younger brother, Ashot IV (1020–40), controlled other parts of theBagratuni kingdom. Hovhannes-Smbat, fearing that theByzantine Empire would attack his now-weakened kingdom, made the Byzantine EmperorBasil II his heir.[31] When Hovhannes-Smbat died in 1041, EmperorMichael IV the Paphlagonian, claimed sovereignty over Ani. The new king of Ani,Gagik II (1042–45), opposed this and several Byzantine armies sent to capture Ani were repulsed. However, in 1046 Ani surrendered to the Byzantines,[5] after Gagik was invited to Constantinople and detained there, and at the instigation of pro-Byzantine elements among its population. A Byzantine governor was installed in the city.[12]
Ani lied along any previously important trade routes, but because of its size, power, and wealth it became an important trading hub. Its primary trading partners were the Byzantine Empire, thePersian Empire, theArabs, as well as smaller nations in southern Russia and Central Asia.[12]
In 1064, a largeSeljuk army underAlp Arslan attacked Ani; after a siege of 25 days, they captured the city and slaughtered its population.[4] An account of the sack and massacres in Ani is given by the Turkish historianSibt ibn al-Jawzi, who quotes an eyewitness saying:
The army entered the city, massacred its inhabitants, pillaged and burned it, leaving it in ruins and taking prisoner all those who remained alive...The dead bodies were so many that they blocked the streets; one could not go anywhere without stepping over them. And the number of prisoners was not less than 50,000 souls. I was determined to enter the city and see the destruction with my own eyes. I tried to find a street in which I would not have to walk over the corpses; but that was impossible.[33]
In 1072, the Seljuks sold Ani to theShaddadids, a MuslimKurdish dynasty.[4] The Shaddadids generally pursued a conciliatory policy towards the city's overwhelmingly Armenian and Christian population and married several members of the Bagratid nobility. Whenever the Shaddadid governance became too intolerant, however, the population would appeal to theChristianKingdom of Georgia for help. The Georgians captured Ani five times between 1124 and 1209: in1124,1161,1174,1199.[34][35] The first three times, it was recaptured by the Shaddadids.
In the year 1199, Georgia'sQueen Tamar captured Ani and in 1201 gave the governorship of the city to the generalsZakare andIvane.[36] Zakare was succeeded by his sonShanshe (Shahnshah). Zakare's new dynasty — theZakarids — considered themselves to be the successors to the Bagratids. Prosperity quickly returned to Ani; its defences were strengthened and many new churches were constructed.
In 1217 and 1220, the city came under attack from theSeljuk Sultanate of Rum whose forces destroyed and pillaged the city however they did not occupy it.
TheMongols unsuccessfully besieged Ani in 1226, but in 1236 they captured and sacked the city, massacring large numbers of its population. DuringMongol invasion of Georgia in 1238-39 QueenRusudan had to evacuateTbilisi forKutaisi, leaving eastern Georgia in the hands ofatabegAvag Zakarian,Shahnshah Zakarian, and Kakhetian lord, Egarslan Bakurtsikheli. The Mongol general Toghta was sent byChaghatai to assault Avag's troops at the fortress ofKayan.[39] After some resistance, Avag surrendered, and has to agree to pay tribute to the Mongols, and to provide let his troops join the Mongol army.[39] The combined troops went on to Ani, the Armenian capital being defended byShahnshah Zakarian, but the city was eventually captured and destroyed.[39] Following this disastrous campaign of 1238–1239, the Armenians and Georgians made peace with the Mongols and agreed to pay them tribute and supply their troops (Georgian–Mongolian treaty of 1239).[40]
Following the decline of theIl-Khanate, during the later part of the reign ofGeorge V (between 1319 and 1335) and the reign of the later kingBagrat V, the city of Ani again became part of theKingdom of Georgia.[41]
By the end of the 14th century, the city was ruled by a succession of local Turkish dynasties, including the Jalayrids and theKara Koyunlu (Black Sheep clan) who made Ani their capital. It was ruined by an earthquake in 1319.[4][5]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 PersianSafavids then ruled Ani until it became part of the TurkishOttoman Empire in 1579. A small town remained within its walls at least until the middle of the seventeenth century, but the site was entirely abandoned by 1735 when the last monks left the monastery in the Virgin's Fortress orKizkale.
In 1905–06, archaeological excavations of the church of Saint Gregory of King Gagik were undertaken, headed by Nikolai Marr.
In the first half of the 19th century, European travelers discovered Ani for the outside world, publishing their descriptions in academic journals and travel accounts. The private buildings were little more than heaps of stones but grand public buildings and the city's double wall were preserved and reckoned to present "many points of great architectural beauty".[4]Ohannes Kurkdjian produced astereoscopic image of Ani in the second half of the 19th century.
In 1878, the Ottoman Empire's Kars region—including Ani—was incorporated into theRussian Empire'sTranscaucasian region.[5] In 1892 the first archaeological excavations were conducted at Ani, sponsored by theSt. Petersburg Academy of Sciences and supervised by the Georgian archaeologist and orientalistNicholas 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.[43] 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.[44] Armenians from neighboring villages and towns also began to visit the city on a regular basis,[45] and there was even talk by Marr's team of building a school for educating the local Armenian children, building parks, and planting trees to beautify the site.[46]
In 1918, during the latter stages ofWorld War I, the armies of the Ottoman Empire were fighting their way across the territory of the newly declared Republic of Armenia, capturingKars in April 1918. At Ani, attempts were made to evacuate the artifacts contained in the museum as Turkish soldiers were approaching the site. About 6,000 of the most portable items were removed by archaeologistAshkharbek Kalantar, a participant of Marr's excavation campaigns. At the behest ofJoseph Orbeli, the saved items were consolidated into a museum collection; they are currently part of the collection of Yerevan's State Museum of Armenian History.[47]Everything that was left behind was later looted or destroyed.[48] Turkey's surrender at the end of World War I led to the restoration of Ani to Armenian control, but a resumed offensive against the Armenian Republic in 1920 byMustafa Kemal Atatürk resulted in Turkey's recapture of Ani. In 1921 the signing of theTreaty of Kars formalized the incorporation of the territory containing Ani into theRepublic of Turkey.[49]
In May 1921, the government ministerRıza Nur ordered the commander of the Eastern Front,Kazım Karabekir, for the monuments of Ani to "be wiped off the face of the earth."[50] Karabekir records in his memoirs that he has vigorously rejected this command and never carried it out.[51] Some destruction did take place, including most of Marr's excavations and building repairs.[52] In October of the same year,a separate treaty was signed between Turkey and theRSFSR, confirming the border between Turkey and the soviet republic of Armenia as it is today. The Russian negotiator Ganeckij of this treaty tried to include Ani into the soviet republic of Armenia, but Karabekir did not agree.[53]
During theCold War, Ani lay on the Turkish-Soviet border, a segment of theIron Curtain.[54] In the 1950s Ani was part of theUSSR's territorial claims on Turkey. In 1968 there were negotiations between the Soviet Union and Turkey, in which Ani would be transferred toSoviet Armenia in exchange for twoKurdish villages being transferred to Turkey, however nothing resulted from the talks.[55]
Church of the Holy Apostles (1031–1215). Top: current ruins (Seljuk gavit to the left, ruins of the Armenian church to the right). Bottom: reconstruction.
During theCold War, and until 2004, a permit from the Turkish Ministry of Culture was required. At one point in the 1980s, photography was banned, as the site lay on the then Turkish-Soviet border.[56]
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.[57]
From the Armenian side of the border, inShirak Province, an observation post has been set up near the village ofHaykadzor, complete with an information panel, but the view is very poor. The outpost of Kharkov offers an excellent view, but access is restricted byborder troops and Russian military personnel.[58] Permission to visit is granted at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Yerevan for free and takes one week.
According toThe Economist, Armenians have "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."[9]
Another commentator said: Ani is now a ghost city, uninhabited for over three centuries and marooned inside a Turkish military zone on Turkey's decaying closed border with the modernRepublic of Armenia. Ani's recent history has been one of continuous and always increasing destruction. Neglect, earthquakes,cultural cleansing, vandalism, quarrying, amateurishrestorations andexcavations – all these and more have taken a heavy toll on Ani's monuments.[59]
In the estimation of theLandmarks Foundation (a non-profit organization established for the protection of sacred sites) this ancient city "needs to be protected regardless of whosejurisdiction it falls under. Earthquakes in 1319, 1832, and1988, all have had devastating effects on the architecture of the city. The city of Ani is a sacred place which needs ongoing protection.[60]"
In an October 2010 report titledSaving Our Vanishing Heritage,Global Heritage Fund identified Ani as one of 12 worldwide sites most "On the Verge" of irreparable loss and destruction, citing insufficient management and looting as primary causes.[61][62]
TheWorld Monuments Fund (WMF) placed Ani on its 1996, 1998, and 2000 Watch Lists of 100 Most Endangered Sites. In May 2011, WMF announced it was beginning conservation work on the cathedral and Church of the Holy Redeemer in partnership with the Turkish Ministry of Culture.[63] In 2023, with the support of the WMF and the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, Anadolu Kültür brought together experts from worldwide to launch a mobile application which allows virtual exploration of Ani.[64][65]
In March 2015, it was reported that Turkey will nominate Ani to be listed as aUNESCOWorld Heritage Site in 2016.[68] The archaeological site of Ani was inscribed as aUNESCO World Heritage Site on July 15, 2016.[69] According to art historianHeghnar Zeitlian Watenpaugh the addition "would secure significant benefits in protection, research expertise, and funding."[70] It gained this status due to its amazing representation of medievalArmenian architecture, however, there were three main criteria that further explain why this aspect of Ani is significant.[71] The first of these criteria is that "Ani was a meeting place for Armenian,Georgian, and diverseIslamic cultural traditions that were reflected in the architectural design, material, and decorative details of the monuments".[71] Ani's location on thesilk road brought in many visitors from various parts of the world, these visitors brought with them new cultures and architectural styles.[71] This unique combination of residents in the city led many of the buildings in Ani to have a never-before-seen architectural style that is distinct to thisregion of the world.[71]
This new style, formed when Ani was at its prime, still has a large impact on the current architecture in its region.[71] The second criterion that caused Ani to gain the status of "outstanding universal value" from UNESCO is the fact that "Ani bears exceptional testimony to Armenian cultural, artistic, architectural, and urban design development and it is an extremely extraordinary representation of Armenian religious architecture known as the 'Ani school', reflecting its techniques, style, and material characteristics".[71] Ani's architecture is an important reminder to the citizens of Armenia of their past. Its buildings have beautiful stone working and architectural designs that were very ahead of their time, this is a major source of pride for the Armenian people.[71] The third criterion that gained Ani the right to be protected is that "Ani offers a wide panorama of medieval architectural development thanks to the presence at the site of almost all the architectural types that emerged in the region in the course of six centuries from 7th to 13th centuries AD".[71] This is due to the cities "military, religious, and civil buildings".[71] UNESCO states that Ani "is also considered a rare settlement", this is because many different styles ofArmenian churches can be seen throughout the city, the styles of these churches were developed between the 4th and 8th century AD.[71]
Ani is currently classified by UNESCO as a 1st degreearchaeological conservation site.[71] This range of protection is continually being enlarged by UNESCO, however, as even Ani's surrounding areas are classified as 3rd-degree archaeological conservation sites.[71]The Ministry of Culture and Tourism is the main organization in charge of the conservation of Ani, however, the General Directorate of Cultural Heritage and Museums also participates in helping with tasks such asrestoration.[71] There are also some other local branches in charge of some of the conservation efforts.[71]
When inscribing Ani Archaeological Site on the UNESCO World Heritage List, the 40th Session of the World Heritage Committee Member States highlighted: "…...the cosmopolitan setting of medieval Ani is a potential model for the improvement of the contemporary international relations in the region, starting from the involvement of the international community in the efforts to preserve this exceptional multi-cultural archaeological site."[72]
All the structures at Ani are constructed using the local volcanic basalt, a sort oftufa stone. It is easily carved and comes in a variety of vibrant colors, from creamy yellow, to rose-red, to jet black. It is important to note that throughout the attacks andnatural disasters Ani has faced throughout the years, all of the buildings have at least significant structural damages, or have otherwise been completely destroyed. The most important surviving monuments are as follows.
Also known as Surp Asdvadzadzin (the Church of the Holy Mother of God), its construction was started in the year 989, underKing 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 ofTrdat, the most celebrated architect of medieval Armenia. The cathedral is a domed basilica (the dome collapsed in 1319). The interior contains several progressive features (such as the use of pointed arches and clustered piers) that give to it the appearance ofGothic architecture (a style which the Ani cathedral predates by several centuries).[74]
Entrance to the church of St. Gregory of Tigran Honents
This church, finished in 1215, is the best-preserved monument at Ani. It was built during the rule of theZakarids and was commissioned by the wealthy Armenian merchantTigran Honents.[75] Its plan is of a type called adomed hall. In front of its entrance are the ruins of anarthex and a small chapel that are from a slightly later period. The exterior of the church is spectacularly decorated. Ornate stone 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 ofSaint Gregory the Illuminator, in the middle third of the church is depicted the Life of Christ. Such extensive fresco cycles are rare features in Armenian architecture – it is believed that these ones were executed by Georgian artists, and the cycle also includes scenes from the life of St. Nino, who converted the Georgians to Christianity. In the narthex and its chapel survive fragmentary frescoes that are more Byzantine in style.[76]
The Church of the Redeemer (Surb Prkich) from two angles: west and east
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 theTrue Cross. The church was largely intact until 1955, when the entire eastern half collapsed during a storm.[77]
The church of St. Gregory of the Abughamrents after restoration.
This small building probably dates from the late 10th century. It was built as a private chapel for thePahlavuni 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 sixexedera.[78]
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 ofZvartnots atVagharshapat.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 architectTrdat. 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).[79]
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 aninscribed 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: Nicholas Marr excavated their foundations in 1909, but they are now mostly destroyed.[80]
There is no inscription giving the date of its construction, but an edict in Georgian is dated 1218. The church was referred to as "Georgian". During this period "Georgian" did not simply mean an ethnic Georgian, it had a denominational meaning and would have designated all those in Ani who professed the Chalcedonian faith, mostlyArmenians. Although the Georgian Church controlled this church, its congregation would have mostly been Armenians.[81]
The mosque is named after its presumed founder,Manuchihr, the first member of theShaddadid dynasty that ruled Ani after 1072. The oldest surviving part of the mosque is its still intactminaret. It has the Arabic wordBismillah ("In the name of God") inKufic 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 Nicholas Marr's excavations. Restoration of the mosque started in June 2020.[82]
At the southern end of Ani is a flat-topped hill once known asMidjnaberd (the Inner Fortress). It has its own defensive walls that date back to the period when theKamsarakan dynasty ruled Ani (7th century AD). Nicholas 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, dating 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.[83]
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 was protected by a double line of walls, the much taller inner wall studded by numerous large and closely spaced 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).[84]
There are many other minor monuments at Ani. These include a convent known as the Virgins' chapel; a church used byChalcedonian 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.
Directly outside of Ani, there was a settlement-zone carved into the cliffs. It may have served as "urban sprawl" when Ani grew too large for its city walls. Today, goats and sheep take advantage of the caves' cool interiors. One highlight of this part of Ani is a cave church with frescos on its surviving walls and ceiling.
Ani is one of the most popular female given names in Armenia.[85]
Songs and poems have been written about Ani and its past glory. "Tesnem Anin u nor mernem" (Տեսնեմ Անին ու նոր մեռնեմ, Let me see Ani before I die) is a famous poem byHovhannes Shiraz. It was turned into a song by Turkish-Armenian composerCenk Taşkan.[86][87]Ara Gevorgyan's 1999 album of folk instrumental songs is titledAni.[88]
Turkish niche perfume brand Nishane and perfumer Cecile Zarokian have created an extrait de parfum named Ani dedicated to the city in 2019, which has gathered positive reviews in the fragrance community. The artwork accompanying the perfume features one of the Ani churches.[89]
^(in Armenian)Hakobyan, Tadevos. (1980).Anii patmutyun, hnaguyn zhamanaknerits minchev 1045 t. [The History of Ani, from Ancient Times until 1045], vol. 1. Yerevan: Yerevan State University Press, pp. 214–217.
^Not to confuse with theBinbirkilise/'1001 churches' nearKaraman in modern Turkey'
^Talbot Rice, David (1972).The Appreciation of Byzantine Art. Oxford University Press. p. 179.ISBN978-0-19-211922-3.The interior of Ani cathedral, a longitudinal stone building with pointed vaults and a central dome, built about 1001, is astonishingly Gothic in every detail, and numerous other equally close parallels could be cited.
^Joel Mokyr.The Oxford Encyclopedia of Economic History. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2003, p. 157: "The struggle against Persian, Byzantine, and Arab political and economic domination, however, led to the restoration of the Armenian Kingdom (885–1045). Crafts and agricultural prospered. Its capital, Ani, famous for Armenian classical architecture, became one of the biggest cities in the world."
^Mutafian, Claude. "Ani after Ani: Eleventh to Seventeenth Centuries", inArmenian Kars and Ani, ed.Richard G. Hovannisian, Costa Mesa, CA: Mazda Publishers, 2011, pp. 163–64.
^Sinclair, Thomas. "Trade, Administration, and Cities on the Plateau of Kars and Ani, Thirteenth to Sixteenth Century," inArmenian Kars and Ani, pp. 171-206.
^Ziflioğlu, Vercihan (April 14, 2009)."Building a dialogue atop old ruins of Ani".Hürriyet. Archived fromthe original on July 12, 2016.The Turkish government's practice of calling the town "Anı," rather than Ani, in order to give it a more Turkish character...
^Garsoian, Nina. "The Arab Invasions and the Rise of the Bagratuni (649–684)" inThe Armenian People from Ancient to Modern Times, Volume I, The Dynastic Periods: From Antiquity to the Fourteenth Century, ed. Richard G. Hovannisian. New York: St Martin's Press, 1997, p. 146.ISBN978-0-312-10169-5
^Redgate, Anne Elizabeth.The Armenians. Oxford: Blackwell Publishers, 1998, p. 210.
^Der Manuelian, Lucy (2001). "Ani: The Fabled Capital of Armenia". InCowe, S. Peter (ed.).Ani: World Architectural Heritage of a Medieval Armenian Capital. Leuven: Peeters. p. 7.ISBN9789042910386.
^Manuk-Khaloyan, Armen, "In the Cemetery of their Ancestors: The Royal Burial Tombs of the Bagratuni Kings of Greater Armenia (890-1073/79)",Revue des Études Arméniennes 35 (2013): 147–155.
^Georgian National Academy of Sciences, Kartlis Tskhovreba (History of Georgia), Artanuji pub. Tbilisi 2014
^Lordkipanidze, Mariam (1987).Georgia in the XI-XII Centuries. Tbilisi: Genatleba. p. 150.
^Eastmond, Antony (January 1, 2014)."Inscriptions and Authority in Ani".Der Doppeladler. Byznanz und die Seldschuken in Anatolien vom späten 11. Bis zum 13. Jahrhundert, eds. Neslihan Austay-Effenberger, Falko Daim: 81.By the 1260s, at which time Ani was under Ilkhanid rule, the gavit seems to have acted as a central deposit for legal affairs, especially those concerning taxes and import duties. The interior and exterior of the building are replete with inscriptions recording changes to levies – usually the alleviation of taxes, but occasionally impositions (such as the ban on Sunday street trading after the earthquake. These texts show a marked difference from the earlier Shaddadid inscriptions in the city about trade. Whereas those inscriptions were in Persian, these are all in Armenian, despite their ultimate authority coming from Iran. Indeed six of the inscriptions begin their texts with the words "[In the name of] the Ilkhan". They even adopt Mongolian terms, notably the word yarligh (imperial decree) which appears in the inscription of 1270.
^Basmadjian, K.J. (1922–23). Graffin, René (ed.). "LES INSCRIPTIONS ARMÉNIENNES D'ANI DE BAGNA1R ET DE MARMACHÈN".Revue de l'Orient Chrétien (1896-1946):341–42, inscription 72.doi:10.31826/9781463220860-020.ISBN978-1-4632-2086-0.
^abcMcDaniel, Ryan James (2005).THE MONGOL INVASIONS OF THE NEAR EAST. San Jose State University. pp. 127–128.Chaghatai dispatched Toghta to assault Awag's fortress of Kayan. (...)Awag surrendered in the name all of Georgia agreeing to pay tribute and to have his troops join the Mongol army. (...)Chormaqan took his own force west to the ancient capital of Armenia, Ani, andAwag accompanied him. The city was under the authority ofShahnshah and the leaders hesitated to surrender. A mob killed the Mongol envoys, and as was their custom in such circumstances, the Mongols relentlessly assaulted the city. Some of the princes surrendered in exchange for a promise of clemency, but after they came out the Mongols divided them up and killed them all. The survivors in the city were enslaved. The destruction was so fierce that the city of Kars surrendered without a fight, hoping to avoid Ani's fate.
^Dashdondog, Bayarsaikhan (2010).The Mongols and the Armenians (1220–1335). Brill's Inner Asian Library. p. 72.Awag (d. 1250), the son of Iwané Zak'arian (d. 1234), was the first Caucasian noble to submit to the Mongols. Kirakos Gandzakets'i gives a detailed account of how this happened.' In 1236, Awag, seeing that the Mongols continued to besiege his stronghold, Kayen, even after taking his daughter and gifts, sent one of Khachen's nobles, Grigor called Tghay to meet the Mongol leaderChormaghan, who was camped at the time by the shores of Lake Geghark'unik* (Sevan). When the great Commander Chormaghan heard about Awag's intention to submit, he ordered his troops to stop besieging the fortress. Soon after, Awag was received by Chormaghan.
^Hakobyan, Tadevos (1982).Anii patmutyun, 1045 t. minchev ankumn u amayatsume [The History of Ani, from 1045 Until its Collapse and Abandonment], vol. 2 (in Armenian). Yerevan: Yerevan State University Press. pp. 368–386.
^Kalantar, Ashkharbek (1994).Armenia from the Stone Age to the Middle Ages. Recherches et Publications.ISBN978-2-940032-01-3.
^(in Armenian) Zohrabyan, Edik A. (1979).Sovetakan Rusastane yev hay-turkakan haraberutyunnere, 1920–1922 tt. [Soviet Russia and Armenian-Turkish relations, 1920–1922]. Yerevan: Yerevan State University Press, pp. 277–80.
A l'est d'Ani. forteresses et églises inédites du nord de l'Arménie (in French), by I. Augé, A. T. Baladian and Ph. Dangles, foreword by J.-P. Mahé, Paris, AIBL, 2020, 364 p., 270 images (online presentation on theAcadémie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettreswebsite).
Brosset, Marie-Félicité (1860–1861),Les Ruines d'Ani, Capital de l'Arménie sous les Rois Bagratides, aux Xe et XIe S, Histoire et Description, Ire Partie: Description, avec un Atlas de 24 Planches Lithographiéesand IIe Partie: Histoire, avec un Atlas de 21 Planches Lithographiées (in French), St Petersburg: Imperial Science Academy.
Cowe, S. Peter (2001).Ani: World Architectural Heritage of a Medieval Armenian Capital. Sterling, Virginia: Peeters.
Hakobyan, Tadevos (1980–1982),Anii patmutyun, hnaguyn zhamanaknerits minchev 1045 t. [The History of Ani, from Ancient Times until 1045] (in Armenian), Yerevan State University Press
Hakobyan, Tadevos (1980–1982),Anii patmutyun, 1045 t. minchev ankumn u amayatsume [The History of Ani, from 1045 until its Collapse and Desolation] (in Armenian), Yerevan State University Press
Kevorkian, Raymond (2001).Ani – Capitale de l'Arménie en l'An Mil (in French).
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