Cities
Ani
Armenia
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Ani became the capital of the Bagratid Armenian kingdom in 961 and grew within decades into a city of over 100,000 people, remembered as the "city of forty gates" and the "city of a thousand and one churches" for the density of Armenian ecclesiastical architecture built there, most famously the Cathedral of Ani completed in 1001 under King Gagik I. Byzantine annexation in 1045 and the Seljuk sack of 1064 began its decline, and the site, now on the Turkish side of the Turkey-Armenia border, has stood abandoned and in ruins for centuries.
Facts
History
Notable DevelopmentAni was conquered by the Seljuk Turks in 1064, ending its rise as the Bagratid capital; later Mongol raids and a devastating earthquake in 1319 accelerated the city's abandonment, leaving the ruined churches that survive today. 1 Status
UNESCO World HeritageInscribed on the World Heritage List 2 Attributions
TraditionThe Armenian Apostolic Church: the Bagratid capital's ecclesiastical architecture, above all the Cathedral of Ani completed in 1001, is the dominant religious signature of the site. 1 Origins
FoundedBagratid capital from 961; Cathedral of Ani completed 1001 1 Traditions
Sacred and Liturgical LanguagesClassical Armenian, the liturgical language of the Armenian church whose cathedral stood here. 1 Cross-Tradition Connections
Associated With
Grew into a city remembered for the density of Armenian ecclesiastical architecture built there, the Cathedral of Ani completed in 1001.
The most famous survivor of the "thousand and one churches" that gave the city its name, completed in 1001.
This source names Turkey directly: "site, now on the Turkish side of the Turkey-Armenia border, has stood abandoned and in ruins for centuries."
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