One of the most valuable and important places in the heart of every Armenian is the city of Ani, now a landscape of ruins resting on a high hill in the province of Kars, in Turkish territory, at the very border with Armenia.
Known as “the city of 1001 churches”, its glorious centuries-old past can be heard resonating through the remaining majestic buildings: the big cathedral, surrounded by a handful of churches, along with the tall dome cut in half as an open wound.
Ani is reachable by public transportation (buses), private tours and cars on one enjoyable road from Kars town (around 45 mins ride), that crosses a few rural villages providing an unforgettable scenery.
First mentioned by Armenian historians in the V century, Ani served as a fundamental crossroad fortress and settlement, whose splendour was only comparable to that of Constantinople and Baghdad.
During the middle ages, the city was under the control of numerous kings of the Bagratuni dynasty who promoted it to capital, ensuring lasting prosperity, with its population reaching over 100,000 in the XI century. Shortly after, the Byzantine empire took over Ani, followed by the Seljuk who sold it to the Kurdish Shaddadids.
At a later period, when the religious intolerance against Christians arose, Queen Tamara of Georgia came into the picture, then lost Ani again to the Mongolian and Persian invasions, thus marking an unrelenting decline from the XV century.
In the modern times, Ani fell under the Russian empire - during which archeological excavations received considerable attention (finds are still on display at the History Museum of Armenia in Yerevan). In 1918, the army of the Ottoman Empire successfully attempted an offensive aimed at taking the territories surrounding Kars and destroying the buildings and the churches.
In 1921, after a short reconquer by Armenians, an official treaty declared Ani as part of the Turkish state.
Because of such historical events, Ani is considered as a sore subject by Armenians, who regard it as the symbol of a lost land and kingdom. It is very rare that Armenian citizens chose to travel through Georgia to reach the site of Ani, as they would rather admire the ruins from the other side of the border, coming from the closest Armenian city, named Gyumri, from where many tours depart.
There is in fact a spectacular gorge which naturally marks the border along with artificial fences. The landscape is breathtaking at any time of the year and the ancients walls, although fallen, still protect the access to the vast area. It is possible to visit the interior of the big cathedral and a couple of other buildings, including a mosque and a watch tower overlooking the Armenian side. On each respective side of the river, destroyed bridge walls still stand, hence the crossing results impossible.
The ruins remain the most fascinating travel destination for Armenians, their symbolism always evoking a glorious past - lost but not forgotten - which resonates through one the most popular given name for girls: Ani, of course.
