Ani

historical city, Armenia

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Ani, ancient city site in extreme eastern Turkey. Ani lies east of Kars and along the Arpaçay (Akhuryan) River, which forms the border with Armenia to the east.

Situated along a major east-west caravan route, Ani first rose to prominence in the 5th century ad and had become a flourishing town by the time Ashot III the Merciful (reigned 952–977), the Bagratid king of Armenia, transferred his capital there from Kars in 961. Thus began a golden age for the city, which was beautified under two subsequent Bagratid rulers. The many churches built there during this period included some of the finest examples of medieval architecture. Although the population estimate made in the Middle Ages of about 100,000 in the early 11th century is unreliable, Ani was substantial in its size and magnificence. It remained the chief city of Armenia until Mongol raids in the 13th century, a devastating earthquake in 1319, and shifting trade routes sent it into an irreparable decline. Eventually the site was abandoned. The surviving churches and the remnants of the city walls attest to the extraordinary quality of Armenian stonework during the Middle Ages. The modern Turkish village of Ocaklı is nearby.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Amy Tikkanen.

Bagratid Dynasty

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Bagratid Dynasty

Armenian dynasty

Written and fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

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Bagratid Dynasty, princely and royal dynasty founded in Armenia and Georgia during the 9th century by the Bagratuni family. The Bagratid kings kept Armenia independent of both the Byzantine Empire and the ʿAbbāsid Caliphate.

With the decline of the previously ruling Mamikonian dynasty, the Bagratids emerged as one of the most powerful noble families in Armenia. The Arabs’ choice in 806 of Ashot Bagratuni the Carnivorous to be prince of Armenia made his family the chief power in the land. The Bagratids were more diplomatic than the Mamikonians in their dealings with their foreign overlords. The governor Smbat Ablabas Bagratuni remained loyal to the caliph.

The election of Smbat’s son Ashot I the Great, who had been accepted as “prince of princes” by the Arabs in 862, to be king of Armenia in 885 was recognized by both the caliph and the Byzantine emperor, and it was he who by his successful defense of his country against local Arab chieftains laid the foundations of a new golden age of Armenian history. Throughout the 10th century, Armenian art and literature flourished. Ashot III (“the Merciful,” 952–977) transferred his capital to Ani (near modern Anipemza) and began to transform it into one of the architectural gems of the Middle Ages.