The ruins of the city of Ani

In the east of present-day Turkey, on the bank of the Akhurian river, lies Ani, the ancient capital of the Armenian kingdom of Ani, founded more than 1,600 years ago. The city stood on a triangular height formed by the gorge of the Akhurian and the Bostanlar valley, at the crossroads of several trade routes.

Its main trading partners were the Byzantine and Persian empires, the Arabs, and the peoples of Central Asia and present-day Russia. In its time Ani was one of the largest cities in the world. After the Seljuk Turkish invasions, destruction and earthquakes, only ruins remained of the “city of 1001 churches”.

The photograph shows an open, yellowish steppe with the ruins of several churches and other buildings.