11th century paintings inside a church in Ani, the ancient capital of Armenia that now lies in eastern Turkey. [OC] [2000×1330]

An unassuming road leads eastward from Kars, Turkey through sparsely populated villages, cultivated fields and golden grasslands, commencing at a tiny ruined site at the border of Armenia. At a plateau 4,800 feet in elevation, these crumbling ruins used to stand tall for a thousand years as the once thriving and highly prized capitol city of Armenia – Ani.

Ani was so well known in the middle-ages, travelers travelled near and far to glimpse its beautiful walls, streets and churches. In fact, it used to be called the “City of a 1,001 Churches.” However, as recently as the 19th century, this area had been forgotten and neglected and was seldom, if ever visited. Add the fact that it now lies in Turkey, a stones throw from the border of Armenia. Currently, the few thousand annual visitors setting foot and imagining life in this ancient city is a far cry from both its splendor in the 11th century and its demise not too long ago.