The National Geographic magazine has published an article on the ancient Armenian capital of Ani.
According to the author of the article Antonio Ratti, in the 10th century, the city of “a thousand and one churches” became the capital of Armenia and home to 100,000 people.
“Its strategic position along trade routes between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea made it an attractive possession, condemning it to centuries of invasion—and eventually, a long period of abandonment.”
As Ratti writes, the medieval kingdom of Armenia once stretched far beyond the confines of modern Armenia. In ancient times, Armenian lands have come under the control of the Persians, Seleucids, Parthians, and Romans. Ratti added that as these empires rose and fell, Armenian identity continued to prevail in Ani.
“The serene ruins of the city, once swarmed by armies through the ages, has always been a special place for Armenians. In the wake of the Armenian Genocide, it stands as an even more powerful reminder of Armenia’s losses and of its astonishing endurance,” Ratti concluded.
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