25 Facts About Ani

Ani is a ruined medieval Armenian city now situated in Turkey's province of Kars, next to the closed border with Armenia.

Ani stood on various trade routes and its many religious buildings, palaces, and sophisticated fortifications distinguished it from other contemporary urban centers in the Armenian kingdom.

Ani never recovered from a devastating 1319 earthquake and, more significantly, from the shifting of regional trade routes, and was abandoned by the 17th century.

Ani is a widely recognized cultural, religious, and national heritage symbol for Armenians.

City took its name from the Armenian fortress-city and pagan center of Ani-Kamakh located in the region of Daranaghi in Upper Armenia.

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Ani was previously known as khnamk, although historians are uncertain as to why it was called so.

Ani was the diminutive of the ancient goddess Anahit, who was seen as the mother protector of Armenia.

Ani expanded rapidly during the reign of King Smbat II .

Ani attained the peak of its power during the long reign of King Gagik I .

However, in 1046 Ani surrendered to the Byzantines, after Gagik was invited to Constantinople and detained there, and at the instigation of pro-Byzantine elements among its population.

Ani lied along any previously important trade routes, but because of its size, power, and wealth it became an important trading hub.

An account of the sack and massacres in Ani is given by the Turkish historian Sibt ibn al-Jawzi, who quotes an eyewitness saying:.

In 1878, the Ottoman Empire's Kars region—including Ani—was incorporated into the Russian Empire's Transcaucasian region.

In 1892 the first archaeological excavations were conducted at Ani, sponsored by the St Petersburg Academy of Sciences and supervised by the Georgian archaeologist and orientalist Nicholas Marr .

At Ani, attempts were made to evacuate the artifacts contained in the museum as Turkish soldiers were approaching the site.

In 1968 there were negotiations between the Soviet Union and Turkey, in which Ani will be transferred to Soviet Armenia in exchange for two Kurdish villages being transferred to Turkey, however nothing resulted from the talks.

The Turks retort that Ani's remains have been shaken by blasts from a quarry on the Armenian side of the border.

The city of Ani is a sacred place which needs ongoing protection.

In March 2015, it was reported that Turkey will nominate Ani to be listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2016.

At the southern end of Ani is a flat-topped hill once known as Midjnaberd .

Ani uncovered the extensive ruins of the palace of the Bagratid kings of Ani that occupied the highest part of the hill.

Directly outside of Ani, there was a settlement-zone carved into the cliffs.

One highlight of this part of Ani is a cave church with frescos on its surviving walls and ceiling.

Ani is one of the most popular female given names in Armenia.

Turkish niche perfume brand Nishane and perfumer Cecile Zarokian have created an extrait de parfum named Ani dedicated to the city in 2019, which has gathered positive reviews in the fragrance community.

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