"What is Ani? There are, of course, things we cannot describe however hard we try" wrote Konstantin Paustovsky after visiting Ani in 1923. A thousand years ago Ani was the capital of an Armenian kingdom that covered much of present day Armenia and eastern Turkey. Ani had a population of at least 100,000 and its wealth and renown was such that it was known as the "City of 1001 Churches". Built on a spectacular site - a plateau encircled by deep ravines - Ani's many churches, palaces, and fortifications were amongst the most technically and artistically advanced structures in the world at that period.
Ani is now a ghost city, uninhabited for over three centuries and marooned inside a Turkish military zone on Turkey's border with modern Armenia. Ani's recent history has been one of continuous and always increasing destruction. Neglect, earthquakes, cultural cleansing, vandalism, quarrying, amateurish restorations and excavations - all these and more have taken a heavy toll on Ani's monuments. Yet still Ani survives. Enter VirtualANI for a tour of the ruins, plus an exploration of some of the medieval Armenian churches, monasteries, and castles that are located elsewhere within Turkey.
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