Ani

Armenian scholars first started mentioning Ani in the 5th century. For 100 years it was the capital of the Bagratid Armenian kingdom and at its’ peak rivaled Constantinople in size and importance.

Ani’s bad luck started in 1072 when the Seljuks attacked and killed enough people to have bodies stacked in the streets. Then the Mongols savagely attacked Ani in 1236.

At that point Ani was one of the world’s largest cities with 100,000 souls, and rivaled Constantinople in importance.

Ani was reknowned for it’s 1000 churches and 40 gates. It was an important stop on the Silk Road and the residents even built a bridge that crosses the Akhurian River to facilitate trade from China to Europe.

Ani was considered to be one of the most beautiful and iconic cities in the Middle Ages.

Ani never recovered from a terrible earthquake in 1319. It was slowly abandoned and by the 17th century it was largely forgotten. It was only rediscovered in 1955 by an archaelogist.

The original city was ringed by a wall that protected Ani from being attacked until it didn’t.

Today Ani is a forlorn place. The remaining churches have been damaged by repeated earthquakes over the years, some recently.

Ani’s structures were once considered to be the most technically and artistically advanced in the world. It is generally accepted that its Gothic architecture influenced the great cathedrals of Europe.

The Cathedral of Ani was finished around 1010. it is the largest remaining building in Ani.

The interior contains several features that give it the appearance of Gothics architecture. The Cathedral’s dome collapsed in the 1319 earthquake. It was damaged again in an earthquake in 1832 and again in 1988. The strengthening measures you see here were added in 2014.

Stunning.

Another stunner was the iconic Church of St. Gregory of the Abughamrents. It was built as a provate chapel in the late 10th century by a wealthy Ani family named the Pahlavuni’s.

The inside shows off the dome and other interior features.

Some of the walls.

The other iconic church we saw was the other named for St. Gregory, this one of Tigran Honents.

If you peer carefully you can see Jeffrey walking down the stairs on the side of the canyon wall in order to get to the church. I was too chicken to do it, so only Jeffrey was rewarded with seeing this site in person. I think I may have made the wrong choice but in my defense that gorge is deep and big.

Up close. And then from a different angle.

A different angle showing just how tenuous these structures are.

And then inside is where the action really happens with all the frescoes. First this one.

Then this one.

And more.

Just a couple more.

One of the inside of the dome.

Really an amazing afternoon at Ani. It just doesn’t feel like it will be around much longer – so fragile and really glad we got to see it now.

Tomorrow we’ll explain why people are talking about Doggy Biscuit.