Ani – Kars, Türkiye
Ani, on the Arpaçay gorge at the Armenia-Türkiye border, was a medieval capital of the Bagratid Armenian kingdom (10th–11th c.) and later a Byzantine, Seljuk, and Mongol-held frontier city. Known as the “City of 1001 Churches,” it preserves cathedrals (Ani Cathedral by Trdat), Church of St. Gregory of Tigran Honents, Church of the Holy Redeemer, city walls, caravanserais, mosques (Menuçehr Mosque), and bridges. Multiple construction phases and inscriptions testify to rich multi-cultural layers. Ani is on the UNESCO World Heritage List (2016).
Sources
- UNESCO – https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1518
- Wikipedia – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ani
- Byzantine Legacy – Ani churches and fortifications