Ani - The City of 1001 Churches

Ani was the capital of Bagratid Armenian Kingdom from about 9-11 centuries, is now located in north-eastern Turkey, very close to the Armenian border. It was an example of a mega-polis of the Medieval Ages, with a population of more than 100,000 (in comparison London had about 18000-20000 inhabitants, Paris is thought to have had 40-60 thousand.

The city was pillaged by the invading Seljuks, after Armenians (allied with Byzantium) lost the battle of Manzikert. However, the greatest blow to the city came with the invasion of Lenk Timur, and the once glorious city became reduced to rubble.

http://www.virtualani.org/citymap.htm


Edited by mamikon

Originally posted by mamikon The city was pillaged by the invading Seljuks, after Armenians (allied with Byzantium) lost the battle of Manzikert.

Armenia was conquered (by force or willingly (cause of  the threat of Seljuks)
some years before Mantzikert.
Basil II the Bulgar-slayer conquered "Havtzitzi" (Bingol Dag) in 1001 and reached Vaspurakan in 1022.
Ani was captured in 1045.
Of course there were Armenians in the rank of the Byzantine army of Mantzikert ,but they were not independent.

Originally posted by Digenis Originally posted by mamikon The city was pillaged by the invading Seljuks, after Armenians (allied with Byzantium) lost the battle of Manzikert. Armenia was conquered (by force or willingly (cause of  the threat of Seljuks) some years before Mantzikert. Basil II the Bulgar-slayer conquered "Havtzitzi" (Bingol Dag) in 1001 and reached Vaspurakan in 1022. Ani was captured in 1045. Of course there were Armenians in the rank of the Byzantine army of Mantzikert ,but they were not independent.

well yes, I said pillaged because it was not conquered, but continuously raided by the Seljuks. True, Ani was captured but the Byzantines, but it was not destroyed or greatly harmed, and it was still governed by Armenian Kings, tributary to the Byzantines. And some Armenian lands were not under Byzantine rule yet. After Manzikert most of those lands became part of the Empire of the Rum, until liberated by the Georgian branch of Bagratunis. I think the continuous internal division of the Armenian Kingdoms, and the constant wars/liberations against the Byzantines much weakened Armenia, as well as Byzantine (alongside the wars in Bulgaria, they failed to see the greater threat from the east), which made both suspectible to the invading Seljuks.

More about Ani:

even though I do not usually like to use Wikipedia, I dont have time to look for other sources, so here it goes.

In 1042 Michael V of the Byzantines started to harass the Armenians Kingdoms following his successor, Basil II. The attack on Ani failed, and the Byzantines left 20,000 dead at the walls of Ani. After the battle the Armenian General Vahram Pahlavouni crowned the Armenian King Gagik II. Defeating the Seljuks, Gagik II annexed Vaspurakan, at the behest of its people. A further attack of Byzantines was repelled. Gagik II was then invited to Constantinople, where he was captured and thrown in Jail. The Catholicos of Armenia rejected three substitutes for the throne, and as a result, Ani was granted to the Byzantines without a battle.

"�The Byzantine occupation of Armenia resulted in catastrophic consequences for both sides, since the empire lost its natural link through which it was connected to the east. Until that point the Armenians had managed to withstand all assaults, but when Armenia lost its royal dynasty, everything else was lost as well.�"

-Alfred Rambaud

 

Edited by mamikon

     Well, most of the buildings are destroyed in one way or another, not just the Seljuk mosque. There are a lot of reasons why its falling apart such as numerous invasions, time (1,000 years) and natural causes. Plus the Turkish government has never attempted to restore Ani (and other cities in eastern Anatolia).


     For instance, the Church of the Redeemer in Ani was hit by lightning:






Edited by ArmenianSurvival

Many historical buildings (including Muslim buildings) are neglected for a long time in Turkey. However, sometimes positive steps are taken. Armenian Church of the Holy Cross on the Island of Aghtamar on Lake Van is being restored by the Ministry of Culture under the supervision of an Armenian architect, Zakaryan Mildanoglu. I don't know if it's a successful restoration, though... 

Ironically, the dynasty of Byzantium that captured Ani (well more like it was given to him) was  of Armenian descent...that Byzantine dynasty ended  25 years after Ani fell...

Edited by mamikon