The Convent of the Virgins in Ani

The picture shows the Convent of the Virgins (Kusanats Vank) in Ani, now in the territory of Turkey. The convent was built in the 13th century by Tigran Honents on a rocky promontory above the gorge of the Akhurian River and was dedicated to the virgin martyrs of Saint Hripsime.

Ani, the former capital of the medieval Armenian kingdom, is known as the “city of 1001 churches”. The convent is one of the few surviving historical monuments of Ani.

The photograph shows the ruined church with its tall drum at the edge of the cliff, with the river below.