Ani :: ARMENIAN LOCATIONS

96 Monuments

Turkey (Country) / Kars (Province) / Bash-Shoragyal (District) / Ani (City Site)

Location

The ghost city of Ani is situated on the right bank of the river Akhurian, in Shirak District (present-day Kars Province of Turkey), Ayrarat Province, Armenia Major, 30 kms south-west of Gyumri City of the Republic of Armenia. The city site extends on a triangular cape which is enclosed within the gorges of Igadzor, Tzaghkotsadzor and Gayladzor, and occupies an area of over 150 hectares, its average altitude above sea level amounting to 1,500 metres.

Karapetian, Samvel. Ani 1050, Yerevan, 2011, p. 8:

Historical Introduction

In times of high antiquity, the site of the future city comprised an inhabited locality with a field of tombs and burial mounds (8th to 7th centuries B.C.) lying in its neighbourhood.

Karapetian, Samvel. Ani 1050, Yerevan, 2011, p. 8.

5 c․

In Armenian historiography, Ani is first mentioned by 5th-century historiographers Yeghishe and Ghazar Parpetsy as an impregnable castle. In the early Middle Ages, it formed part of the possessions of the prominent Kamsarakan family together with the districts of Shirak and Arsharunik.

Karapetian, Samvel. Ani 1050, Yerevan, 2011, p. 8.

8 c․

In the ‘80s of the 8th century, prince of Armenia Ashot Bagratid the Meat-Eater (Msaker) purchased Arsharunik and Shirak Districts, as well as the castle of Ani from the Kamsarakans and made them part of his estates.

Karapetian, Samvel. Ani 1050, Yerevan, 2011, p. 8.

9 c․

By the late 9th century, Ani had already grown to a village town.

Karapetian, Samvel. Ani 1050, Yerevan, 2011, p. 8.

961 y․

In 961 the Bagratids moved their court from Kars to Ani and made it the capital of their kingdom. In 964 King Ashot III the Merciful (Voghormatz) erected powerful ramparts on the narrow strip of the cape, north of the castle—later they were named Ashotashen (i.e. ‘built by Ashot’) Ramparts after the king.

Karapetian, Samvel. Ani 1050, Yerevan, 2011, p. 8.

989 y․

Located on the important commercial route of Dvin-Trabzon, Ani started developing rapidly, its fast growth making King Smbat II (977 to 989) construct the second row of ramparts named Smbatashen (i.e. ‘built by Smbat’) in 989. These fortified walls ran along the edges of Tzaghkotsadzor and Igadzor, reached Gayladzor, then continued along the gorge of the Akhurian and enclosed the newly-built part of the city.

Karapetian, Samvel. Ani 1050, Yerevan, 2011, p. 8.

It was particularly during the peaceful years of the reign of Gagik I (989 to 1020) that Ani enjoyed a period of great development. The metropolis of Ani had commercial ties with Byzantium, Persia, the Arabic countries, South Russia and Middle Asia. The construction activity unfolded in the city was particularly large-scale and in full swing—something unprecedented in its history—during the period when it was the capital of Armenia: a great number of public and religious buildings were erected there one after another.

Karapetian, Samvel. Ani 1050, Yerevan, 2011, p. 8.

11 c․

In the 11th century, Ani was a renowned city with trade unions and over 100,000 inhabitants.

Karapetian, Samvel. Ani 1050, Yerevan, 2011, p. 8.

The domestic split that the country faced after Gagik I’s death shattered the foundations of the Armenian statehood. The struggle for the royal throne grew especially bitter between Gagik I’s sons, King Hovhannes-Smbat and his brother Ashot IV. Fearing the possible invasion of the Byzantine army, which had already crushed the revolt in Tayk, Hovhannes-Smbat, who was not endowed with a strong will-power, bequeathed Ani and its vicinity to the Byzantine Empire in 1023. After Hovhannes-Smbat and Ashot IV had died, Catholicos Petros Getadardz I and Prince West Sargis attempted to execute this will through the support of their followers, but they encountered resistance on the part of some of the nobility and the city population. Late in 1042, those concerned with preserving the statehood of Armenia—their leader was Vahram Pahlavuny—declared Ashot IV’s son, young Gagik II (1042 to 1045), king of the country. Between 1043 and 1044, the Byzantine troops sieged Ani for several times demanding its surrender, but thanks to the self-defence organised by army leader Vahram Pahlavuny, it remained inaccessible for the enemy. However, in 1045 King Gagik II was treacherously summoned to Constantinople, where he was dethroned. Thus, Byzantium achieved the goal it had been pursuing, but in fact, in the meantime, it also struck its own death-blow, for the conquest of Ani and the fall of the Armenian statehood marked the destruction of the powerful stronghold on the eastern border of the empire, which was indispensable for the repulsion of the Seljuk inroads.

Karapetian, Samvel. Ani 1050, Yerevan, 2011, p. 8-9.

1064 y․

In 1064, during their third invasion of Armenia, the Seljuks took Ani.

Karapetian, Samvel. Ani 1050, Yerevan, 2011, p. 9.

1072 y․

In 1072 Emir of Dvin Abulsuar purchased Ani from Seljuk warlord Alp-Aslan and put it into his son Manuche’s possession, this marking the establishment of Shaddadian Principality of Ani, which existed at intervals until 1199.

Karapetian, Samvel. Ani 1050, Yerevan, 2011, p. 9.

12 c․

In the 12th century, the Armeno-Georgian united forces entered Ani for several times.

Karapetian, Samvel. Ani 1050, Yerevan, 2011, p. 9.

1199 y․

In 1199 Ani was liberated and shifted into the Zakarians’ possession, but in 1236 it was sieged and conquered by the Mongols through perfidy. In 1249 and 1260 the inhabitants of the city rose in rebellion against their Mongol masters, but in vain.

Karapetian, Samvel. Ani 1050, Yerevan, 2011, p. 9.

14 c․

The city of Ani existed until the mid-14th century—it continued its subsistence even after the disastrous earthquake of 1319, but Timur’s incursion at the end of the same century and the cruelty with which the successive foreign rulers treated the local population gave rise to large-scale emigration to Georgia, South Russia and the Crimea.

Karapetian, Samvel. Ani 1050, Yerevan, 2011, p. 9.

16 c․

By the 16th century, Ani had been reduced to a small village.

Karapetian, Samvel. Ani 1050, Yerevan, 2011, p. 9.

18 c․

In the 18th century, Ani represented but a heap of ruins in the possession of some Turkish beys.

Karapetian, Samvel. Ani 1050, Yerevan, 2011, p. 9.

1878 y․

In 1878 Russia took control over what was left of the once large and prospering city.

Karapetian, Samvel. Ani 1050, Yerevan, 2011, p. 9.

1918 y․

In 1918 Ani was invaded by the Turks, in the aftermath of which, the materials and exhibits of its historical museum (Repository of Ani), which had been collected through many years of hard toil and tireless scientific research, were destroyed within just a few hours. The few exhibits which had survived this inroad were consigned to the State History Museum of the Republic of Armenia.

Karapetian, Samvel. Ani 1050, Yerevan, 2011, p. 9.

1918 — 1920 yy․

During 1918 to 1920, Ani formed part of the Republic of Armenia together with the region of Kars, but in October 1920, both of them were again occupied by the Turks. A year later, without the consent of the Armenian side, the Bolsheviks of Russia and Kemalist Turkey signed the treaty of Kars, under which the region was annexed to Turkey. This marked the end of the archaeological exploration that had been in process in Ani for over a quarter of a century. As a result of it, a large number of finds—lapidary inscriptions, architectural pieces and ornamented fragments, parts of various buildings and archaeological items—were doomed to neglect, which led to their decay and final loss.

Karapetian, Samvel. Ani 1050, Yerevan, 2011, p. 9.

1990 y․

After a great interval, in the late 1990s, Turkish specialists started archaeological excavations in Ani, where they have also carried out partial or thorough conservation and restoration of monuments since the period specified. However, no Armenian experts have ever been engaged in this work, which is evidently implemented with flagrant violations of the scientific norms of restoration. What is even more regrettable, these actions often simply pursue the aim of appropriating the Armenian monuments of the city site.

Karapetian, Samvel. Ani 1050, Yerevan, 2011, p. 9.

Research Materials
1892 — 1916 yy․

Between 1892 and 1916, Nicholas Marr conducted scientific research and archaeological excavations in Ani with the participation of Armenian specialists, including Toros Toramanian, Ashkharbek Kalantar, Nicholas Adontz, Aram Vruyr, Nikoghayos Buniatian and others.

Karapetian, Samvel. Ani 1050, Yerevan, 2011, p. 9.

Monuments

THE CITADEL: The part of Ani which is naturally endowed with all favourable conditions for human habitation also comprises a number of defensive structures erected in different periods of time to make it protected and invulnerable. From the times of cyclopean castles until the High Middle Ages, Ani was periodically fortified to have enough power to successfully resist the armed forces of the enemies of the given period. The strengthening of the city reached its climax particularly in the years (961 to 1045) when it was a royal residence. The defence system of Ani included three fortifications which were organically connected with each other—the Citadel, Aghjkaberd and Nor Kaghak (the Armenian equivalent for New City). Apart from them, Ani also had so-called satellite castles, such as Tignis and Maghasberd, which were to ward off the enemy before they reached the city.

Karapetian, Samvel. Ani 1050, Yerevan, 2011, p. 13.

ROYAL AND PRINCELY RESIDENCES. Indeed, regal palaces existed in numerous other large and small medieval Armenian capitals such as Kars and Bagaran; there were princely mansions in various fortified places or castles, but these were mostly strengthened palaces (Amberd, Nerkin Dashtadem), whereas those preserved in Ani form an integral part of the general municipal environment and the construction scheme of the city. It is noteworthy that the Pahlavunies’ or Sargis’s residences do not have their separate defensive installations, for they are situated within the fortified city. Instead, they are distinguished for their magnificent stylistic and artistic ornamentation which is typical of edifices situated in capital cities and can be seen in other public buildings in Ani. Outside the city, such patterns of embellishment are found almost exceptionally in religious complexes such as Nor Varag and Bardzrakash Monasteries, etc.

Karapetian, Samvel. Ani 1050, Yerevan, 2011, p. 43.

BUILDINGS OF WORSHIP: It is beyond doubt that Ani had a place or places of Christian worship as early as the times of the Kamsarakans’ reign, but the oldest of the churches preserved standing in the city site or unearthed during the excavations date back to only the 10th century. This may be explained by the fact that during the period of the growth of Ani, when large-scale construction activity was unfolded in the city, the old structures underwent a thorough reconstruction there. The city preserved its existence, marked by ups and downs, until the early 14th century, the last churches erected there tracing back to the beginning of the 13th century. We do not have at our disposal any information regarding the exact number of the churches in Ani, which is called City of a Thousand and One Churches in folklore. In 1064, when Alp-Aslan took Ani, it had 400 churches apart from numerous tall buildings. The travellers who visited Ani in the early 19th century counted over 40 churches there, whereas at the end of the same century, when N. Marr started excavations in the city site, it had only 16 churches—standing, semi-ruined or others that could hardly be discerned. Those of the churches of Ani which are remarkable for their great architectural value were erected particularly between the 10th and 11th centuries. From a religious standpoint, all the places of worship in Ani belong to the Armenian Apostolic faith with two exceptions: the one conventionally called “Georgian,” which belonged to the city’s Armenian Chalcedonian community adhering to the Byzantine Church—its followers grew particularly active during the period of Georgia’s political supremacy, namely, between the 12th and 13th centuries—and Tigran Honents Monastery, which served the followers of this denomination for some time. During the Seljuk Turks’ reign, two mosques were erected in Ani: one of them, which was called Abul Mamran, was built as a completely new structure, while the other, the mosque of Manuche, came into being through the appropriation of one of the public buildings of the city. Under the Turks, the Cathedral was changed into a mosque and served as such for some time. From 1904 until 1915, Sourb Prkich (Holy Saviour) and Sourb Arakelots (Holy Apostles’) Churches, as well as the one named “Georgian” underwent partial repairs and conservation to escape collapse. Since 2009 Turkey’s Ministry of Culture has been implementing restoration in some of the churches of Ani without the participation of Armenian architects who have wide experience in this.