The ruins of Ani and its rock-cut dwellings

The photograph shows the ruins of the ancient Armenian city of Ani. Today Ani lies in eastern Turkey, in the province of Kars, near the border with Armenia. The site stands on a triangular plateau surrounded by the gorge of the Arpachay river.

In the 5th century Ani was known as a fortress of Armenian princes, and in the second half of the 10th century it became the capital of the Armenian Bagratid kingdom. The “city of 1001 churches” reached its height in the 11th century. After the Mongol invasion, the devastating earthquake of 1319 and the shift of trade routes, the city was abandoned by the 17th century. It is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The photograph shows the remains of a wall and a round tower built on the hill, and below them dwellings cut into the rock which, according to the source, were used until the early 20th century.