The ghost city of Ani

Perched above the Akhurian River in the Turkish province of Kars, the Armenian city of Ani once stood on various East-West trade routes. Ani's citadel, built in the seventh century, now overlooks the Turkish-Armenian border. The sign warns that entrance to the area is forbidden.

At its height the city had a population of around 100,000. Now, uninhabited and abandoned for the last 300 years, earthquakes, quarrying across the Armenian border, vandalism and minimal conservation have caused Ani's religious buildings, palaces and fortifications to slowly crumble.

Ani was the capital of the Bagratid Armenian kingdom between 961 and 1045. The city was legendary for its grandeur and glory. The capital of the onetime kingdom, which covered modern-day Armenian and Eastern Turkey, is regarded by Armenians as an essential part of their national heritage and identity.

The Lion Gate was probably the city's main entrance. The street ran across the city center up to the Citadel. In 1996 a large section of the wall, tower and gate were badly damaged during reconstruction.

Ani's central street runs from the Lion Gate towards the Citadel. The road was excavated before World War I and revealed an ancient water pipe system that ran underground the city.

Ani was once called the "City of 1001 Churches." The Church of Saint Gregory was built towards the end of the 10th century. It stands at the very edge of the plateau overlooking the valley and river.

The interior of the Church of Saint Gregory is covered with frescoes of the same date as the building. They were damaged in recent years by graffiti.

Towards the southern edge of the city stands the Cathedral, built in the year 1001. It the largest and most imposing building on the site. In the far distance a Russian watchtower provides border security for Armenia along the Armenian-Turkish border.

The Church of Saint Gregory of Tigran Honents was commissioned by a wealthy merchant named Tigran Honents and completed in 1215.

The Church of Saint Gregory of Tigran Honents is entirely covered with frescoes with two main themes: the life of Christ and the life of Saint Gregory the Illuminator.

Cows graze near the Minuchihr mosque, which is situated between the Citadel and the Cathedral. The mosque is said to have been built by Emir Minuchihr, the first of the Shaddadid dynasty, which ruled Ani from around 1072.