13 replies to this topic

[Arpa]

ԱՆԻ ՔԱՂԱՔ

City of 1001.

First the gloriously Magnificent;



Then the inglorious tragically lamentatious;



Even if we have spoken about the subject on many occasions, see below and more. We will hear more about it, the fact that of late the city has been subject of much debate I deemed it fit to devote a whole separate topic.
EVERYONE PLEASE! This is an open forum topic. Please do participate, add what I may have missed, be they articles or comments, yours or others’. Please correct me where I have erred.

The City of 1001 Churches. Me? I would much have had 1000 Castles and, if necessary ONE church. Remember how in Marash 5000 souls were burned alive at the Holy Virgin Church ?
Remember that the City is less than 10 meters away across the Akhourian/Arpa River!! How much force does it take to cross over and re- conquer?
Bridge;
http://comps.fotosea..._~u17414222.jpg
http://farm3.static....b4861a190_b.jpg

http://i.telegraph.c...60b_790115c.jpg
http://apexengineeri...ni_cooper_s.jpg

http://1.bp.blogspot...00/IMG_2266.JPG
http://wikimapia.org/13959537
Ruins-of-Akhourian-Bridge

http://wikimapia.org...4/91/62_big.jpg
http://hyeforum.com/...h=1
Here we spoke about the subject, if only superficially in passing;

http://hyeforum.com/...20

http://www.youth.am/...?lang=2&id=4230

City Walls;
http://www.armeniape...e-ani-walls.jpg

Citadel 1885;
http://upload.wikime...rmenia-1885.gif
1937;
http://armenia.loois...urches/img_1937
And the further progressive(?) deterioration here;
http://armenia.loois...f 1001 Churches
--
We still don’t know how and why the City was named so. Is ANI a diminutive abbreviation of ANAHIT?? (We call many an Anahit as Ani) I question the “zoroastrian fire temple“ mentioned below, as Anahit and Aramazt go much further back than Zoroaster.
http://www.virtualan...story/part1.htm

Earliest History
Bronze and Iron age settlements have been excavated on the site, so have possible Uruatian buildings. There is re-used classical masonry in the citadel walls and the remains of what is probably a Zoroastrian fire temple. Ani is first mentioned by Armenian chroniclers in the 5th century A.D. as a strong castle built on a hilltop and a possession of the Kamsarakan dynasty.
In the middle of the 7th century Armenia was invaded and conquered by the Arabs. The ethnic makeup of the population was little changed by this invasion, but it destroyed the existing power structures and paved the way for the eventual emergence of new ruling dynasties. By the end of the 9th century Armenia had regained most of her former independence - but was divided into numerous kingdoms and principalities. The two most powerful Armenian kingdoms were those of the Artzruni dynasty, who were based around Lake Van, and the Bagratid dynasty, who ruled most of north-eastern Armenia and who would eventually have their capital at Ani.

Edited by Arpa, 04 October 2010 - 10:16 AM.

[Arpa]

I have no idea why this Church Սուրբ Փրկիչ/Holy Redeemer was also nicknamed “Abughamrents”. Obviously Arabic as in “abu/father”. Who was “ghamr” that his father/son was named so?
In the Armenian sources, searching for “Աբուղամրենց” we are redirected to Pahlavuni.
----

Other designations: Church of the Holy Saviour (Surb Prkitch); Church of the Holy Saviour of All (Surb Amenaprkitch); Aziz Patrik Kilisesi; Halaskar Kilisesi; Keseli Kilise.
History
"In the year 480 (A.D. 1035), I, Ablgharib marzpan (general) took an edict on behalf of Smbat shahanshah (king of kings) to Michael, Emperor of the Greeks, at Constantinople, and with great effort and great expense I bought a fragment of the Holy Cross, and when I returned, completed this temple..."
- Part of an inscription on
the walls of this church
This large church was completed around the year 1035, and the walls are covered with long and elegantly carved inscriptions that reveal much of its history.
The inscription partially reproduced above records that the church was commissioned by prince Ablgharib Pahlavid to house a fragment of the True Cross. He had obtained this relic after a visit to Constantinople, and in the inscription he commanded that nightly services should be held within this church until the second coming of Christ.
Other inscriptions record a restoration of 1193, by a priest named Trdat, in which twin zhamatuns (outer halls) were added to house pilgrims; and another from 1291, recording that a man named Mkhitar had built a bell tower in front of the entrance. These structures have entirely vanished except for the concrete staining on parts of the facade. Another inscription tells that in 1342, prince Vahram Zakarid ordered a restoration of the cupola that was undertaken by the architect Vasil. There is also an inscription on the upper part of the south facade bearing the name "Trdat". Some have identified this Trdat as the famous architect Trdat, designer of the Ani cathedral and King Gagik's circular church. This is unlikely: the earliest known works by Trdat are from the 970s, so he was probably dead by the time this church was being constructed. The name may actually refer to the same Trdat who is mentioned in the 1193 restoration inscription.
By the end of the 19th century the church was still intact, but in an advanced state of decay. "This building will not endure for many years longer, unless steps be taken to save it from falling in", wrote H.F.B. Lynch after visiting Ani in 1894.
In 1912 the Russian excavators restored a large section of masonry on the eastern facade. After the restoration, a door with a lock was added and a small museum containing stone objects was created within the church. The eastern half of the church collapsed during a storm in 1957. Some books date this collapse to the 1930s - but the 1950s date is confirmed by local villagers, and apparently the sound of the falling masonry was heard in the village just outside the walls. The remainder of the church was badly shaken during the 1989 earthquake and now is in danger of total collapse.
In 1999 the doorway was blocked with a roughly constructed rubble wall in a belated attempt to prevent further collapse. In reality it will have no effect, but when the final destruction comes it will give those responsible the excuse that they did something to try to prevent it. This work was organised by a foreign architect, I am told.

[Arpa]

http://hetq.am/en/culture/41597/





Global Heritage Fund – Ani on “Verge of Vanishing”
[ 2010/10/20 | 10:41 ] culture
The ruins of Ani is included in a list of twelve historic sites around the world that are “on the verge of vanishing” because of mismanagement and neglect, according to a new report issued by the San Francisco-based Global Heritage Fund (GHF).
The report identifies nearly 200 heritage sites in developing nations as being at risk, highlighting 12 as being on the verge of irreparable loss and destruction.
Three sites in the Middle East, Iraq’s Nineveh, Palestine’s Hisham’s Palace, and Turkey’s Ani, are among those most in danger. The ruined city of Ani, on the border of Turkey and Armenia, dates back to the 11th century.
Once known as “The City of a Thousand Churches,” many of its remaining buildings are now on the brink of collapse. GHF executive director Jeff Morgan told CNN, “Ani is probably one of the top 10 sites in the world, right up there with Machu Picchu and Angkor Wat.

-----
http://news.am/eng/news/35196.html





October 20, 2010 | 18:11
CNN: Ani among 12 Ancient ruins worldwide ‘on verge of vanishing’

October 20, 2010 | 12:54
Ani is among twelve historic sites around the world that are “on the verge of vanishing” because of negligence and mismanagement. According to the report, by San Francisco-based Global Heritage Fund (GHF), nearly 200 heritage sites highlighting 12 as being on the verge of irreparable loss and destruction.

Ani “The City of a Thousand Churches” is among those most in danger. Many of its remaining buildings are now on the brink of collapse.

“Ani is probably one of the top 10 sites in the world, right up there with Machu Picchu and Angkor Wat. It’s incredible.” GHF executive director Jeff Morgan told CNN.
The ruined city of Ani, on the border of Turkey and Armenia, dates back to the 11th century.
We say we’re going to use tourism for economic development purposes, but you really need an assessment of the economic geography of the place.

Ani has been “caught in a political morass,” because of its position on the border of two countries that don’t have diplomatic relations, said Morgan, arguing that restoring these heritage sites will attract tourism that can pay for their ongoing preservation and bring sustainable income to local communities.

"That’s why what’s happening now is so critical -- because of scarcity. There are so few intact ruins and historic districts left,” told Morgan to CNN.
News from Armenia - NEWS.am

[Ani]

Ani is on the verge of vanishing...

[Aratta-Kingdom]

Ani is on the verge of vanishing...

I'm visiting Ani this weekend. I hope I'll see a different picture.

I'll post some pics in the forum after I come back.

[Arpa]

I have been there, this is the vantage point to view Ani. Observe how deep and steep the gorge is. One has to be an expert mountain climber to scale it. Although we were strictly advised to not take pictures, we did, I have photos and video that I took regardless. Yes, we had to wait for an okay from Moscow, since then as now, the border is monitored by the Russian army.



There are a few inconsistencies in the story, whether it is due to a lapse of memory or simply a lack of geographical knowledge.
I had seen the following story otherwise. It seems it had already been posted here, where BTC questions its authenticity.
http://hyeforum.com/...t=0
---
Although Steven Kamajian MD, shown by google seems to be a real person, a physician in the LA area.
Aside and before I saw the question by Steve/BTC, I had already noticed the following inconsistencies.
I don’t question Dr. Kamajian’s story, only his geographical and strategic confusion. He seems to be totally confused about his North, South, East and West. Hopefully he would also learn where Gumri and Gavar are.
--

In August 1995, I traveled to the Gumri, Armenia to do
volunteer medical work. While there, I asked local physicians about
ancient churches in the vicinity and I was taken to see some that
had been built in 900 A.D. When I marveled at these ancient
architectural treasures, I was told that all the really old
churches were in the city of Ani, which now is inside Turkey.
A few days later, a Russian military officer was brought to me
as a patient. The Russian military still has a large garrison in
Gumri and the Russians were still staffing the border stations
between Armenia and Turkey. As is the custom of that part of the
world, after I had provided medical services to the Russian
officer, he asked me what he could do for me. I told him I would
like to go to Ani.
----
The Russian Officer told me that he could do this for me if I
kept quiet about the excursion into Turkey as it was not legal for
him and I could get him into trouble with both the Turkish and the
Russian governments.
-----
Two days later, he picked me up at the clinic and we drove 1
1/2 hours to the Turkish-Armenian border. We parked his car inside
of the third outermost ring of barbed wire and walked to a guard
tower overlooking the Arax River. We faced Ani's ancient
Cathedral. We then hiked down to the riverbed and took a small boat
over the river to the base of the cliffs. We came to Turkey up
under an old fort he identified as the Queens Prison. Turkish
Shepherds greeted us -- apparently it was not unusual for a man
wearing a Russian military uniform to walk up the hills into the
village of Ani.

---
Note the highlights above.
1. What if that Russian officer did cross the tightly controlled, barb wired border on the Armenian side. How did he cross the even more tightly controlled, fenced perhaps even booby trapped land mined furkish(NATO) controlled side without creating an international incident? What kind of boat did they use? The border is impenetrable even today, after so many years except by these clowns who claim to have walked across it barefooted.
http://news.am/eng/news/34300.html

2. This is the most suspect. The border between Gumri and Ani is not across the River Arax which is at least 100 km to the south, where the River Arax joins the Armenian border at the level of Yerevan. The river in question is the Akhurian (known as Arpa Chay by those others), which beside it flowing in a deep impenetrable gorge, is not a navigable river.
What kind of boat did they use?

See where Gumri, Yerevan, Arax and Akhurian are. Yes, we know that Akhurian does eventually pour into the Arax;
http://upload.wikime...rasrivermap.jpg
If one crosses the River Arax at the town Ararat, one ends up in Igdir, not Ani.

3. You add your observations. Even if I don’t doubt that Dr. Kamajian has actually been in Gumri, and surveyed Ani from that vantage point, the rest of the story seems to be a flight of imagination, or perhaps a dream.
----
The village next to Ani mentioned above is known as Ojakli by those others.

Edited by Arpa, 01 November 2010 - 06:37 AM.

[Aratta-Kingdom]

Arpa, we were almost at the same location from the other side of Akhuryan. I have pictures from the Kusanac (or Kusac...) church. Shat shat qich mardu e hajoghvel ayd yekeghecin ayceli. Anmijapes sahmani vra u baci vtangi arkayutyunic, shater@ nuynisk dra masin chgiten. Yerevi da patjar@ vor Anii bolor yekegecinneric amena lav pahpanvats@ henc ays poqr yekegecin e. Karsum Charenci tnic nuynpes nkarner unem. Mi yerku shabatic bolor@ situm kdnem.

[Arpa]

What do you think? Shall we curse them or thank them?
I can’t find what their captions read. What did they call and how they described the City?
----

http://news.am/eng/news/45200.html

Turkish “Elle” magazine shoots photo models against background of ruined Armenian churches in Ani (photos)

January 20, 2011 | 12:49
Turkish Elle magazine organized a photo shoot of models in Armenian city Ani.
The models cover the December issue of the magazine, posing against the background of ruined Armenian churches.
The half-ruined Armenian churches Tigran Honentsi, Cathedral of St. Virgin, Church of Holy Savior can be seen in the photos

Another view;
http://www.ianyanmag...rs-controversy/

[Arpa]

RAPE OF ANI

Imminent?

Lament of ANI

http://virtualani.ho...s_and_poems.jpg






http://hetq.am/eng/articles/1553/

Ankara Attempts to Turkify Ani's Past

11:35, 26 May, 2011
The ruins of Ani, the city of 1001 churches, continue to fascinate tourists from around the world.
On the day we arrived, despite the inclement weather, we bumped into Turkish students and tourists from the Czech Republic and Armenia. The Turkish government has latched on to the tourism draw and now longer restricts outsiders to the medieval Armenian city.
One Czech tourist, travelling by motorcycle, knew little of the city's history but was impressed with what he saw. Sadly, the information posted at the entrance and inside the area, told him nothing about the city's Armenian roots.
Loosely translated the official sign posts read that Ani "...is a medieval city where various cultures clashed."
The signs mention kings like Ashot (961-977 AD) and Smbat Bagratouni (977-989AD) must conveniently omit the fact that they were Armenian. Neither do they note that the city serves as the capital of the Armenian Kingdom.
Ani sat at the crossroads of trade routes as well – goods were brought from China, Persia, Byzantium and Egypt.
While the Tigran Honets Church has been partially renovated, its dome has been left unrepaired. While a sign affixed to the church states that it was built when Ani was under Georgian jurisdiction, Armenian historian Samvel Karapetyan is convinced that it belonged to the Armenian community.
Despite the efforts of the Turkish Cultural Ministry to the contrary, the locals know that Ani was an Armenian political and religious center.
We met up with Ali Ihsan Alunak, a Kurdish journalist, who heads the Caucasus Cultural Research Institute of Turkey.
Alnak says the lack of any mention of Ani's Armenian identity is a result of decades of Turkish rejectionist state policy when it comes to Armenians. Ankara, he states, wants to avoid any linkage of Turkey's history with that of the Armenians; especially the period related to the 1915 Genocide.
The architect says that Turkey has even seen fit to start calling Ani by the Turkified "Anu" name; thus further removing it from its Armenian legacy. In Turkish, the word means "memory" or "remembrance".
Alnak told me that Ankara's attempts to "Turkify" Ani are futile given that the whole world regards the city as Armenian.
Turkish Minister for Tourism and Culture, Ertugrul Günay, has declared that Ankara plans to renovate the Mother of God Cathedral and the Holy Saviour Church in cooperation with the World Monuments Fund.
The work is being coordinated by Anadolu Kültür, an NGO headed by Osman Kavala. He says that work will commence in 2012 and last for four years.
Ishan Karayaz, who heads the Millennium Development Goals Fund, is a bit more optimistic, despite the fact that Ani was a military off-limits zone till 2004.
He says that things have changed today with specialists visiting the site; even Armenians.
"What this means is that we will have different studies of Ani. I also see more willingness on the part of the Turkish government to acknowledge Ani's Armenian identity," says Karayaz.
Ali Ishan believes that such official acknowledgement will be facilitated with the normalization of relations between Turkey and Armenia. But he doesn't hold his breath regarding any such development.
He also doesn't put much faith in Ankara's pledges to renovate Ani's monuments and believes that Turkey is just going through the motions after having been pressured by the international community.

Edited by Arpa, 29 May 2011 - 08:57 AM.

[Arpa]

Yet another howl from that "den of wolves"!
The question is.
WHAT WILL THE NAME OF THAT ARMENIAN JEWEL BE?
And who will be credited for having built it? UFO-s, Unidentified Furkish Ossurmans?
I cannot identify the following picture. Anyone know? How about it Aratta? You were there.
http://news.am/pic/news/102775.jpg



http://news.am/eng/news/102775.html

Upon Turkey’s proposal, UNESCO includes Ani in preliminary World Heritage List

April 25, 2012 | 15:15
Turkey, which is a member in the World Heritage Convention, reviewed its preliminary list submitted to UNESCO, and proposed to include in the list thirteen new monuments and monument groups.
Examining these proposals—which also includes the historical Armenian city of Ani—the UNESCO World Heritage Committee approved them on April 13. So, Ani is likewise waiting for its turn to be registered in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Turkey presented, in accordance with UNESCO standards, the grounds for recognizing Ani as an “outstanding universal value.” These grounds specifically point to the great influence of the architectural school of Ani; and the latter being a unique example of Armenian culture, art and architecture, and of urban development and military-defense architecture.
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Ապրիլ 25, 2012 | 15:15
Համաշխարհային ժառանգության կոնվենցիային 1983 թվականից անդամակցող Թուրքիան վերանայել է UNESCO ներկայացված իր նախնական ցուցակը եւ հանդես է եկել 13 նոր հուշարձաններ ու հուշարձանախմբեր ցուցակում ընդգրկելու առաջարկով:
Քննության առնելով այդ առաջարկները, որոնց թվում ներկայացված է եղել նաեւ Անի քաղաքը, UNESCO-ի Համաշխարհային ժառանգության կոմիտեն հաստատել է դրանք` 2012թ. ապրիլի 13-ին: Այսուհետ, ի թիվս 38 հուշարձանախմբերից բաղկացած Թուրքիայի նախնական ցուցակում գրանցված այլ բացառիկ արժեքների, Անի պատմական քաղաքը եւս սպասում է UNESCO-ի Համաշխարհային ժառանգության ցուցակում գրանցման իր հերթին:
UNESCO-ի Համաշխարհային ժառանգության նախանական ցուցակները կազմվում են Համաշխարհային ժառանգության կոնվենցիային անդամակցող պետությունների կողմից` ի կատարումն Կոնվենցիայի 11-րդ հոդվածի 1-ին ենթակետի: Դրանք ենթակա են վերանայման առնվազն 10 տարին մեկ անգամ:
Ընթացակարգի համաձայն որեւէ մշակութային կամ բնության արժեք չի կարող գրանցվել UNESCO-ի համաշխարհային ժառանգության ցուցակում, եթե այն ներկայացված չէ տվյալ երկրի նախնական ցուցակում: Անիի` որպես «բացառիկ համաընդգրկուն արժեքի», հիմնավորումը Թուրքիան ներկայացրել է համաձայն UNESCO-ի 2-րդ, 3-րդ եւ 4-րդ չափորոշիչների: Այդ հիմնավորման մեջ մասնավորապես նշված է Անիի ճարտարապետական դպրոցի մեծ ազդեցությունը տարածաշրջանում եւ դրա սահմաններից դուրս, Անին` որպես հայկական մշակույթի, արվեստի ու ճարտարապետության, քաղաքաշինության, ինչպես նաեւ ռազմապաշտպանական ճարտարապետության եզակի օրինակ:
Առաջարկի հիմնավորման մեջ նշված է նաեւ, որ 1001թ. Տրդատ ճարտարապետի կողմից կառուցված Անիի Գագկաշեն Գրիգոր Լուսավորիչ եկեղեցու հորինվածքը մեծապես կրում է 7-րդ դարի կեսին կառուցված Զվարթնոցի տաճարի ազդեցությունը, ինչպես նաեւ կարելի է հանդիպել բյուզանդական շատ եկեղեցիներ, որոնք կրել են Անիի.

Edited by Arpa, 25 April 2012 - 10:53 AM.

[ED]

Eh Ani, Ani,,,gandoxit tun@ qandvi

[Arpa]

RAPE OF ANI CONTINUES

http://www.armeniano...enia-turkey.jpg


http://www.armeniano...ation_monuments

Restoring Ani: Armenian specialists expect to be part of Turkey-led efforts for ancient Armenian capital
St.Savior church in Ani
By Gayane Abrahamyan
ArmeniaNow reporter
The first stage of restoration works of Armenia’s most beautiful ancient capital Ani in modern-day Turkey (Western Armenia) has been completed, but the issue of Armenian experts’ participation in the three-year restoration project of Ani’s four churches is yet unresolved.
For several years now Turkish press has been trumpeting that the Turkish government is spending huge money on the restoration of medieval city of Ani, which is in ruins. However, the actual works started a few months ago, in August, and are mostly sponsored by World Monuments Fund and US ambassadors’ Cultural Fund created by the US Congress and functioning as part of the US State Department – the total of $1 million has been allotted for this purpose. As part of the restoration plan ancient St Astvatsatsin (Virgin Mariam) cathedral and half-ruined St Savior’s church will be fortified and repaired, roads to the monuments arranged and research excavations will be carried out. International Council on Monuments and Sites ICOMOS-Armenia leader Gagik Gyurjyan is convinced that Armenian experts will have access to the restoration commission. “Last year a resolution was adopted during the session of ICOMOS’s general assembly, demanding to include international experts in Ani’s restoration project. The expert group has not yet been formed, but I am almost sure that Armenian experts will take part in the coming stage of works,” Gyurjyan told ArmeniaNow. He believes that Armenian experts’ participation in the next year’s work is more important because so far only the technical part has been completed - roads have been repaired, fragments of the churches have been collected and numbered. It is not clear to what extent it is planned to restore as St Savior is half-ruined and it isn’t known whether they are planning to fully restore it or just fortify it. “The extent of intervention during the repair depends on the amount of surviving original pieces – if it’s sufficient to restore 60-70 percent of the monument, then total restoration is possible. But it might be better not to intervene to avoid distortion,” says Gyurjyan. By its attention to Armenian cultural heritage the Turkish government pursues several goals, dictated by self-interest. As experts in Armenia on Turkish studies often claim it is done to demonstrate to the international community how caring they are of Christian heritage. But architects and archeologists see another purpose – a dangerous hidden agenda to erase Armenian traces. “In the 1990s the Turkish government was implementing various kinds of excavations and research, but everything that was unearthed was destroyed shortly after to get rid of the Armenian traces,” Samvel Karapetyan, head of an NGO studying Armenian architecture and cultural heritage, told ArmeniaNow. The lengthy text on the information panel next to the museum in the ruins of Ani - 1051 years ago proclaimed as the 11th Armenian capital – says nothing about Armenians, Ani’s Armenian origin or it being Armenia’s capital at any point in history. None of the other panels installed there have any such references. “This is not unique to Ani, all the other Armenian monuments in Turkey share that same fate – not only their Armenian origin or any relation to it is not mentioned, but Armenian names, Armenian kings’ names are deliberately altered deluding both foreign and local visitors,” says Karapetyan. He recalls how in 2004 when he visited Ani excavations were being carried out at queen Katranideh’s mausoleum adjoining the cathedral’s eastern façade and the entire sepulchral complex. Two Armenian clergymen’s graves were discovered with Armenian inscriptions on the tombstones. “The following year we found them completely fractured, the remains dug out and scattered around. And it’s not like it happened somewhere in the mountains to be blamed on treasure-hunters, but in the museum under close watch of a big group of security guards,” says Karapetyan. Nonetheless, he reminds that Armenians can’t very much point the finger since for years they themselves have been negligent and “helped” the destruction of Ani. Next to the ruins of Ani by the River Akhuryan on the Armenian-Turkish border, the Armenian side had been exploiting a tufa mine until 2004 using explosives; the Turkish side periodically criticized this calling to stop the blasts. “In reality we were damaging our richest historical heritage by using explosives at a site where eminent archeologist Nicholas Marr did not allow to shut a bullet, as the sound waves from the shot would damage the half-ruined monuments. That’s an example of our indifference, our negligence that’s apparent at all our sacred sites,” says Karapetyan. While two years ago the Turkish government was repairing and, experts say, successfully fortifying Ani’s Tigran Honents Church, Armenian tourists thought it was their duty to leave their traces by writing their names and visit dates next to the ancient frescos inside the church. “In this highlight our voice is too frail to raise and complain of possible distortions,” says Karapetyan, but gives assurances that the Armenian side has to see to it that the restoration is done properly.

Source URL: http://www.armeniano...ation_monuments

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[Arpa]

RAPE OF ANI PART 2

From the Mirror Nov. 17, 2012
http://www.mirrorspe.../pdf/111712.pdf

HiddenTruths or True Lies ?

By Raffi Bedrosyan
Pp 11-12


The picture above does not show. See it in the originl article at the Miror.
Where the sign reads An@ orenyeri- oto park@. (I have no idea what orenyer means).

Sign at Ani, with the spelling changed to the Turkish without a period above. See highlight bold below.
To not forget this christian ? prayer .


http://ic.pics.livej...04_original.jpg

Of all the lies. A segment from above.

The ancient city of Ani near Kars, right on
the Armenian border separated by the
Akhurian River, is known as the “city with 1001
churches.” It is a former capital of the
Armenian Bagratid kingdom, with continuous
Armenian presence from the fifth to the 17th
century. It had reached its glory days in the
10th and 11th centuries, when it became a central
gateway on the Silk Route and its growing
population of 100,000 even exceeded
Constantinople at the time. Most of the buildings
and churches are now destroyed, but the
main Ani cathedral, Dikran Honents Church,
the Surp Prgitch Church and the city walls are
still standing, with clearly visible Armenian writings
carved in stone on most walls. After years
of neglect and/or target practice by the Turkish
military on the remaining Ani buildings, the
current Turkish government has opened up Ani
to tourists and has started some preliminary
restoration efforts. However, there is not a single
word about Armenians in the Turkish historic
descriptions and guidebooks on Ani. The
standing churches and buildings are referred to
as belonging to the Georgians or the Seljuks.
Even the name Ani is now spelled with an I
without the dot, meaning memory in
Turkish, so that the Armenian Ani connection
to this city will disappear. The denial policy and
the paranoia linked to the 1915 facts has
stretched so far that even the Armenian presence
in Ani is being denied.
The museum in Kars exhibits historical artifacts
collected from the region. There are woodcarved
church doors, stone tombstones, carpets
and dowry chests. There are descriptions
explaining that the ancient ones are from the
Urartus, the more recent ones from the
Russians or Georgians. And yet, all these artifacts
have clearly visible Armenian writings
carved in the wood or stone or woven into the
fabric. Again the denialist paranoia has gone to
extreme limits, but it can only fool a few Turks
who cannot recognize the Armenian alphabet.

Edited by Arpa, 17 November 2012 - 09:54 AM.

[Yervant1]

THE CRUMBLING RUINS OF THE CITY OF ANI (PHOTOS)

The Weather Channel
feb 18 2014

By Lorraine Boissoneault

The crumbling ruins speckle the Turkish border with Armenia in a
hodgepodge fashion; a half-standing wall here, an empty church there.

Standing in defiance to the elements and to the geopolitical turmoil
that has ravaged the region of generations, the ancient ruins of Ani
are a reminder of both mankind's ability to build magnificent cities
and our willingness to allow these monuments to succumb to decay.

The various structures of Ani have stood for hundreds of years, with
historians first mentioning the city in the 5th century, according to
Armenian History. Known as the "City of a Thousand and ONe Churches,"
Ani rose to prominence in the Middle Ages. The city included a citadel,
an inner city, suburbs and an underground city of caves.

Around the 11th century, Ani had around 100,000 residents, despite
the surrounding area being repeatedly destroyed and conquered by
Ottoman Turks, Byzantine emperors, nomadic Kurds and Russians, wrote
The Atlantic.

But the city wasn't destined to survey until the modern era. After
being conquered and ransacked several times, Ani went into decline
and was finally abandoned in the 1700s. But the city's tragic destiny
didn't end when its citizens left. The buildings were raided by vandals
and looters and the remaining structures were neglected. In 2010 the
Global Heritage Fund listed Ani as being in danger of disappearing
entirely due to insufficient management, neglect and looting and
vandalism by Turks trying to eliminate Armenian history, the Global
Heritage Fund wrote.

Since that time, further efforts have been made to safeguard the
city's future. The most recent archaeological excavations took place
in 2011 and it has become a popular destination for tourists straying
off the beaten path and visiting the eastern border of Turkey.

"When we speak of Ani, we call it an iceberg," said the Kars Culture
and Tourism Director to the Turkish newspaper, Hurriyet Daily News.

"The visible surface is one-tenth of the invisible face of Ani."

View slide show of photos at
http://www.weather.c...photos-20140217