Ani: medieval Armenian capital
City of 1001 Churches.
Capital of the Bagratid Armenian kingdom 961-1045, sacked by the Seljuks in 1064 and depopulated after a major earthquake in 1319. Remains include the Cathedral (1001), the Church of the Redeemer (1035), the Church of Saint Gregory of Tigran Honents (1215) and the citadel. The site lies immediately on the Turkey-Armenia border and was inaccessible from the Armenian side throughout the Soviet period. Designated UNESCO World Heritage in 2016. Conservation under Turkish state authority has been mixed; much of the masonry is at risk from neglect, freeze-thaw damage and earlier ill-judged restorations.
Capital of the Bagratid Armenian kingdom 961-1045, sacked by the Seljuks in 1064 and depopulated after a major earthquake in 1319. Remains include the Cathedral (1001), the Church of the Redeemer (1035), the Church of Saint Gregory of Tigran Honents (1215) and the citadel. The site lies immediately on the Turkey-Armenia border and was inaccessible from the Armenian side throughout the Soviet period. Designated UNESCO World Heritage in 2016. Conservation under Turkish state authority has been mixed; much of the masonry is at risk from neglect, freeze-thaw damage and earlier ill-judged restorations.