ANI

Ani is one of the oldest settlements in Anatolia. it is 42 kilometers southeast of Kars in today’s Ocakli village and spreads over five hectares of land (50,000 square metres).

Ani was an important trade center built on the Silk Road straddling the Arpacay River, which today forms a natural border between Turkey and Armenia. The remains of the ancient city are mostly on the west side of the valley, on Turkish soil. There are various theories on the source of the name Ani. Some researchers claim that it refers to Anahita, the love and fertility goddess of Persian mythology. Some texts note that Ani was a woman’s name in Armenian. Ani represents the shared heritage of Greek, Latin, Armenian, Seljuk and other cultures that settled in this part of Anatolia.

Ani, in its thousands years of history, was home to Hurrians, Urartians, Kimmerians, Uskitians, Karshaks, Sassannians and Arabs respectively until the beginning of the 8th century. it developed through trade thanks to its excellent location at the Silk Road’s northern entrance to Anatolia.

The Armenian Bagradit Kingdom was founded in 732 AD. King Ashot iii made Ani the capital city of his kingdom in 962, and in this period the city experienced the peak of its political and economic power. With a population of around 100,000, it became one of the main stops for Silk Road trade heading towards the Caucasus, Asia and China. Ani was occupied by Alparslan in 1064 and introduced to Seljuk civilization, which was followed by the rule of the Georgians starting from 1124. in 1239, the city was largely destroyed by the Mongolian invasion and began to lose its importance to traders it changed hands in between several Ottoman principalities for a while until 1534, when the Ottoman state became the sole power in Ani.

With the discovery of the Cape of Good Hope and the development of sea transport, the Silk Road lost some of its importance. This was a further blow to Ani’s status as a trade post, coming after the Mongolian invasion and a series of earthquakes.

The city was gradually abandoned starting from the 16th century. it fell under the reign of the Russians for 40 years after the 1877–78 Ottoman– Russian War and was recaptured in 1921.

SPATIAL DEVELOPMENT

The earliest settlement areas in Ani in prehistoric times were the volcanic caves in the valley known as Bostanlar Deresi. in the fourth century AD, the inner castle (Uc Kale) was built by the Karsaks. Ani began to take on the characteristics of a city after 964 with the reign of the Armenian Bagradit King Asot who built the first city walls. Further walls were constructed in 978 under the rule of the Bagradit King Sembat, and the city’s population expanded rapidly at this time. The third and the last phase of wall construction was completed after the Seljuk occupation by Seddat governor Ebu Manucahr.

The area in between the 4.5 kilometerlong city walls were full of buildings - shops, inns, warehouses, hamams, small churches, and small production workshops for linseed, earthenware pots and iron, as well as houses. it is known that Ani developed without a plan.

The main streets started from the three gates of the outer city walls and went up to the inner castle. Today, the only road that can be seen starts from the Lion Gate (Aslanli Kapi) passes near the ruined minaret of the Ebu'l Muamran Mosque and reaches Manucahr Mosque.

The city formed an architectural unity with its mosques, churches, palaces, caravanserais and hamams, displaying the influence of different civilizations and cultures, and retained its commercial importance until the end of the 15th century.

Today Ani is a first-degree archeological site and contains 21 registered immovable architectural structures. Apart from these monumental buildings, there are many samples of civilian architecture that fell into ruin and have been partially buried.

The buildings in Ani carry the architectural stamp of the Sassannian, Arab, Armenian, Seljuk and Georgian civilizations. This history makes Ani a significant part of the cultural heritage of the world.

SIGHTS

Outer City Walls
The first sets of walls were constructed by the Bagradit Kings Ashot and Sembat ii. They were destroyed during the Seljuk invasion of 1064 and repaired in 1066 by Emir Manucahr. The walls are seven-eight meters tall on average and covered by beige basalt. They were decorated with red and black stones and also with crosses, dynastic coats of arms, talismans and animal figures carved on the stones.

Ani City Walls. Photograph: Yildirim Ozturkkan

The Lion Gate and Other Gates
On the main entrance gate of the second set of walls surrounding Ani, there is a lion relief which symbolized power in the Seljuk Empire. Other gates in Ani are named the Divine Gate, Bey Sekisi Gate, Migmig Gate, Acemagili Gate, Hidrellez (Satrancli) Gate, Ciftebeden (Kars) Gate and the Egribucak Gate.

Caves
The rocky cliffs around Ani are made up of soft tufa stone below and hard basalt formations above. This stone can be carved easily and thus is suitable for the building of cave houses, graves, depots, religious places and even dovecotes. Some of these formations are linked to each other from within by staircases. Most of the rooms were covered by rubble stone or wood in the past.

The caves are scattered in the cliffs surrounding Ani, concentrated on both sides of the Alaca Valley to the west of the city. it was previously named Tsagkotsadzor, meaning ‘Flower Gardens Valley’.

When Russian archeologists examined 500 of these caves in 1915, they found 30 churches, eight collective graves and 16 dovecotes.

Seljuk Palace
The remains of the palace, which is also known as the castle or Sultan’s Palace, cover the three corners of northwest Ani. itsconstruction date and the constructor are unknown today but it is estimated that the palace was built in the 12th or 13th century.

Different archaeologists have made different claims about the history of the remains. Some claim that it was a mansion built by a rich merchant named Tigran Honents, whose grave was carved into the valley opposite the palace. Others say it belonged to a prince. There is also an argument that it belonged to the archbishop of Ani. But the strongest opinion is that it was built by the Seljuks during the reconstruction of Ani initiated by Ebu Manucahr following the city’s invasion. The similarities it bears with Seljuk stonework and ornamental style support this view.

The palace was a rectangular, five-storey building with a large central hall and rooms situated around it. The first story was made of wood and thus did not survive. its ground floor and basement on the other hand can still be seen.

The walls of the palace facing the Alaca Valley are also the walls of the city. The basement, with its vaulted arches, was used as a storehouse. The L-shaped ground floor was the living area. The entrance of the east front is the most striking of the palace’s remains with its impressive ornamentation.

The fountain bearing the signs of 12th century Seljuk ornamental style is also noteworthy. The restoration of the palace began in the 1990s, and in 2000 the impressive door was restored. The completion of the restoration work was followed by arguments over whether the restoration complied with standards of archaeological conservation; there were accusations that serious mistakes were made during the restoration.

Gagik Church
“At the end of the year 1000 AD, in the reign of the Emperor Basil, The Armenian King Gagik was seized with the ambition to build a church in Ani that would match, in terms of scale and design, the great Vagarsapat Church, dedicated to Saint Gregory and at that time lying in ruins.”

The Ancient City of Ani, Gagik Church. Photograph: Yildirim Ozturkkan

The Armenian King Gagik (r. 990-1020) chose the architect Trdat, who also designed the Ani Cathedral, for the construction of the Gagik Church, which is also known as the Binyil (Thousand Years) Church. The church was finished in 1010 and was located in the southwest of Ani, on the road going down to Bostanlar Deresi. it was a round building; the front walls and dome have collapsed, and only the supporting walls and three columns remain. The church was an imitation of Zvartnots, the most important religious building of seventh century Armenian architecture.

The site of this church was excavated in 1906 by the Russian archeologist Nikoli Marr. A plan of the church, a bronze flambeau, a chandelier, and a statue of King Gagik were among the findings of this excavation.

Apostles Church
"...I cannot claim to have resolved the complexity of the construction plan of this structure, the most interesting among the monuments of Ani.”

This important church was built by the Pahlavuni dynasty. it was believed that the church was used by bishops while Ani was under the rule of this family. There are no inscriptions on its walls stating the date of the construction. The oldest inscription dates back to 1031 and mentions the land donation by Abugamir Pahlavuni.

Nikolai Marr finished his excavations at the Apostles Church and the buildings around it in 1909, and in 1912 the weak parts of the church were strengthened.

The architecture of this church represents a design model seen in Armenia since the seventh century but the ornamental units in the building are in the style of the first 30 years of the 11th century.

Ebu'l Muameran Mosque
Apart from some parts of the minaret, which was destroyed in 1890, not much survives of this mosque. The minaret was very tall and octagonal in shape, as seen in engravings of Ani. What remains of it suggests a high quality of stonework. The inscription written in Persian on the minaret carries the date 1199 (H 595). Sheep and camel trade, which was lively at the time, was banned in the vicinity of the mosque.

Aziz Krikor (Poladoglu) Chapel
The chapel was built on the valley near the walls overlooking Bostanlar Deresi in 980 by Prince Pahlavuni. The exterior of the chapel has 12 faces and its entrance is from the southwest. it is a cylindrical building with an octagonal dome. The lack of apsis shows that this church was built as a monumental cemetery in memory of a family. The variety of the forms used in the fronts and the effect of light and shadow on these forms give the space a baroque atmosphere. in 1998 the chapel was plundered but the 56 KARS CiTY GUiDE KARS CiTY GUiDE 57 structure still survives. The sundial engraved on its south front is one of its most interesting attractions.

Aziz Prkitch (Halaskar) Church
"in the year 480 (1035 AD) i, General Abulgarip, made a request to the Roman Emperor Michael in Constantinople in the name of the Shah of Shahs, and after great effort and expense was able to obtain a part of the True Cross, and on my return built this temple. "

l The long and decorative inscriptions over the walls of the church tell much about its history, which began in 1035. The inscription partially quoted above shows that Prince Abulgarip Pahlavid built this church for it to contain the “True Cross”.

The church is situated at the southeast of Ani near the Great Cathedral, and is one of the most characteristic of Armenian churches. With its 19 faces it looks almost round. The floor is circular, and the ceiling is domed and two-tiered.

The inner walls are octagonal and covered with frescoes.

Technically the church is one of the most adventurous buildings in Ani. The construction technique of the medieval Armenian churches is integral. The walls, roofs, front, dome, columns and apsises all unite into a single whole. Due to this technique, when the building started to crack, half of it was demolished. Buildings constructed in this style are likely to survive whole, or not at all.

Great Cathedral
"in the 450th year of the Armenian era (1001 AD), under the rule of the King of Kings Gagik, honored by God and by the Armenian spiritual leader the Katholicos, i, Katranide, queen of the Armenians, daughter of King Vasak, at the order of my husband Gagik, king of kings, built this holy cathedral whose foundations were laid by Sembat the Great…"

The Bagradit king Sembat ii began the construction of the Great Cathedral and King Gagik’s wife Queen Katranide completed it three years later in 1010. The architect was Ani Trdat, who had also restored the Hagia Sophia church in istanbul after a devastating earthquake.

The cathedral is situated in the center of Ani and was built in the style of a domed basilica, using red tufa stones. it has three gates: the Public Gate in the west, the Patriarch’s Gate to the north and the King’s Gate on the south. Light came through the arched, narrow and high windows. Despite the fact that the dome has been destroyed, the inner space remains dark. This darkness was created delibaretely by its architect

in 1064, following the Seljuk invasion, the cathedral was converted into a mosque and the first prayers were said here after the city’s conquest. The building was renamed the Fethiye (Conquest) Mosque.

The cathedral was built on a graded surface and its dome and belfry have been destroyed, along with some of the northern walls. The cathedral was further damaged in 2000 and 2001 by blasts in stone mines in Armenia. Still, it is the most important and largest building that has survived from the civilization of Ani.

Ani, Southeastern angle of the Great Cathedral. illustration: Charles Texier; Photograph: Yildirim Ozturkkan Archive

Tigran Honents (Painted) Church
"in the year 664 (1215 AD), with the blessing of God, when the city of Ani was ruled by the great and able Zakaria… i, Tigran, son of Sulem Smbatorents of the Honents family, slave of God, built this monastery dedicated to Saint Gregory in this place, amid rock and grass, for the long life of my lords and children, and i bought it at great cost from its owners and with great effort and expenses fortified it from all sides. i built this church in the name of Saint Gregory and beautified it with various decorations...."

This church was built by the merchant Tigran Honents in the name of Saint Gregory, and contains Honents’ grave. The whole of the inner space is covered with frescoes of the same age as the building. Two subjects are depicted in these: the life of Jesus and the life of Saint Gregory. For this reason the church is also known as the “pictorial church”.

The interior is domed and contains four large columns, while there are two confessional chambers at each side of the apsis, which are semicircular in shape. The narthex that was added later at the front of the church is rather worn out today. Although there are many frescoes on this narthex, the parts that can be reached have been scratched and scribbled over in recent times. But most damage has been caused by painting over the frescoes intended to cover up the scribbling. The lower lines of the frescoes, especially on the northern wall, were completely carved. The church was half-destroyed quite early in its life, but part of it survived together with the frescoes.

Ebu Manucahr Mosque
This is the oldest Seljuk work surviving in Anatolia. it was built on a valley overlooking the Arpacay River on the road to the inner castle by Ebu Manucahr. The roof was supported by six independent columns which divide the interior into 11 segments; today we can only see six of them. The design of the roof of each section is different, and they are decorated with colorful stone inlays. Many features of its design, like the large basement and windows, are uncharacteristic for a mosque. A steep staircase winds round a column and up to the top of the minaret, whose roof no longer exists. There is no mihrab (a niche indicating the direction of Mecca) in the mosque but a carving in one of the inner walls shows the direction of Mecca. The mosque was used by locals until 1906 but was then turned into a storage chamber for the excavation findings of Nikoli Marr. From then until the end of 1990s it was regularly plundered.

Virgin’s Monastery
This monastery was built in 1215 on the steep rocks in the deep valley at the very point of the Armenia-Turkey border where the Arpacay River flows. it was dedicated to the virgin martyrs of Saint Hripsime.

An inscription at the Church of Saint Gregory mentions a monastery named Bekhents nearby that was repaired by Tigran Honents. it is claimed that Bekhents was the Virgin’s Monastery. This small, attractive monastery is situated in a courtyard among the ruins of a few buildings. Though small, its architecture is complicated. There is a small chapel that connects with the monastery from the south. its plain and frescoe-free decoration suggests that the architecture might have been influenced by the vaulted style of Turkish graves. The remains of the monastery, with its red tufa stones on top of a cliff, have a very beautiful and romantic appearance.

Ani, Virgins Monastery. Photograph: Yildirim Ozturkkan

inner Castle (Ic Kale)
The low hill arising at the south end of Ani, known as the inner City or inner Castle, is surrounded by a single set of city walls and is the first settlement in Ani. The area was selected by the Kamsarakan Dynasty in 622. At the top of this hill there is the palace of the Bagrat kings and their followers, and it is believed that most of the city’s life centered on this area before the Bagrat Kingdom moved its capital to Ani. The palace now consists of fallen stones and the remains of walls. There are also the remains of three churches inside the castle. These are: the Palace Church, the Young Princes’ Mausoleum and the Hexagon Church, which looks like a tower when seen from a distance. Between the Hexagon Church and the palace there are piles of stones which some people claim to be the ruins of another church.

Atesgede
The remains of Atesgede were uncovered during the 1909 excavations of Russian archaeologist Nikoli Marr. This temple, which is believed to have been built in the first centuries AD, is the first Zoroastrian Atesgede (fire temple) in Anatolia. it was made of basalt stones in a square shape, with a roof supported by four columns. Nothing remains of the roof. in the most recent excavations, some remains of the walls were found near the temple, which were probably built after the Atesgede was converted into a chapel. Zoroastrianism is one of the oldest monotheistic religions.

it was founded in iran by Zarathustra nearly 3,500 years ago and became the official religion of the Persian Empire between 600 BC and 650 AD. Even today it is believed that there are one million followers of Zoroastrianism in the world.

The Cape of Girl Castle (Kiz Kalesi)
The land on the south edge of Ani narrows down like a cape surrounded by the Arpacay River and is protected by a steep cliff. it is considered that the settlement in this area was the last to be abandoned, as it was naturally well protected from intrusions. A difficult winding road takes the visitor up to the castle today. The path overlooking the river was probably the main road to the castle. The fact that the path was protected by a door, now ruined, is proof of this. inside the castle there are the remains of a church which is believed to have been built in the 13th century. it is a square building from the outside and cross-shaped inside. Some parts of the church suggest that the remains of an earlier church were used to build this one.

To walk to this castle from the outer walls of Ani takes about an hour, and this part of Ani is rarely visited. However, it was clearly more popular during the Russian era in Kars, as the writings on the walls of the church are either Russian or Armenian. The view of Ani, Arpacay River and the Armenian border from this cape are well worth the effort of the visit.

Silk Road Bridge
The bridge was built by the Bagradit Kingdom to cross the Arpacay River in the 10th century. The only arch of this 30-meter bridge has collapsed. What remains are the bases of the columns and part of the gate. 19th century travelers refer to a military post near the bridge, and it is also said that a second bridge was built underneath the cape of Kiz Kalesi, but there are no remains to prove it.

Small Hamam
The hamam, built in the Seljuk style, is 100 meters south of the Bey Sekisi Gate and consists of four vaulted rooms with one side opening to a court and four private bathing rooms. The entrance of the hamam is from the west, from where there is a passage to changing rooms.

Hamam
This large hamam in the central part of Ani, close to the Great Cathedral, is a Seljuk work of the 12th century. Most of the remains of the hamam were discovered during the 1965–1966 excavations but a considerable part of it is still underground.