Ani

For other uses, see Ani (disambiguation).

Ani
Անի
Church of the Holy Apostles and Church of Saint Gregory of Abughamrentz, Ani
Ani is located in West and Central Asia
Ani
Location of Ani
LocationOcaklı (nearest settlement),[1][2] Kars Province, Turkey
RegionArmenian highlands
Coordinates40°30′27″N 43°34′22″E / 40.50750°N 43.57278°E / 40.50750; 43.57278
TypeSettlement
History
Founded5th century (first mentioned)
Abandoned17th century
PeriodsMiddle Ages
CulturesArmenian (predominantly)
Site notes
OwnershipKingdom of Armenia (Middle Ages)
Official nameArchaeological Site of Ani
TypeCultural
Criteriaii, iii, iv
Designated2016 (40th session)
Reference no.1518
RegionEurope and North America
historical population of over 100,000

Ani (Armenian: Անի; ‹See Tfd›Greek: Ἄνιον, translit. Ánion;[3] Latin: Abnicum[4][5]) is a ruined medieval Armenian[6] city now situated in Turkey's province of Kars, next to the closed border with Armenia.

Between 961 and 1045, it was the capital of the Bagratid 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 many religious buildings, palaces, and sophisticated fortifications distinguished it from other contemporary urban centers in the Armenian kingdom. Among its most notable buildings was the Cathedral of Ani, which is associated with early examples of Gothic 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 to Razmik 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 the UNESCO 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]

  1. ^ Watenpaugh 2014, p. 531: "The nearest inhabited village is Ocaklı, a farming village with little infrastructure."
  2. ^ "Büyük Katedral (Fethiye Cami) – Kars". kulturportali.gov.tr (in Turkish). Adres: Ocaklı Köyü, Ani Antik Kenti
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference gars was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference eb9 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference eb11 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Barthold, W. & Minorsky, V. (1960). "Ānī". In Gibb, H. A. R.; Kramers, J. H.; Lévi-Provençal, E.; Schacht, J.; Lewis, B. & Pellat, Ch. (eds.). The Encyclopaedia of Islam, Second Edition. Volume I: A–B. Leiden: E. J. Brill. OCLC 495469456.
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference hako was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ Not to confuse with the Binbirkilise/'1001 churches' near Karaman in modern Turkey'
  9. ^ Cite error: The named reference eco was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  10. ^ Talbot Rice, David (1972). The Appreciation of Byzantine Art. Oxford University Press. p. 179. ISBN 978-0-19-211922-3. 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.
  11. ^ 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."
  12. ^ Ghafadaryan, Karo (1974). "Ani". Armenian Soviet Encyclopedia (in Armenian). Vol. I. Armenian Academy of Sciences. pp. 407–412.
  13. ^ Mutafian, Claude. "Ani after Ani: Eleventh to Seventeenth Centuries", in Armenian Kars and Ani, ed. Richard G. Hovannisian, Costa Mesa, CA: Mazda Publishers, 2011, pp. 163–64.
  14. ^ Sinclair, Thomas. "Trade, Administration, and Cities on the Plateau of Kars and Ani, Thirteenth to Sixteenth Century," in Armenian Kars and Ani, pp. 171-206.
  15. ^ Vanadzin, Katie (January 29, 2015). "Recent Publication Highlights Complexities of Uncovering the History of the Medieval City of Ani". Armenian Weekly. As Watenpaugh explains, 'Ani is so symbolic, so central for Armenians, as a religious site, as a cultural site, as a national heritage symbol, a symbol of nationhood.'
  16. ^ Panossian 2006, p. 60.
  17. ^ Ancient city of Ani dazzles visitors
  18. ^ "Civilization Lost and Re-discovered, International Efforts for Advocacy and Conservation of Ani Archaeological Site".