The Ruins of Ani, once the capitol of a medieval Armenian Kingdom, is located in Turkey on one side of the Akhurian River in a Turkish military zone.  It has been made a Turkish cultural site.  Armenia claims that it is really an Armenian cultural site, and it maintains a army base across the river.

Here is a view of the fort walls seen while approaching it.

Through the front gates

The Armenian Lion in the entrance passageway 

 Ruins that surround the inner entrance

More ruins along the path

Church of the Holy Redeemer undergoing renovation

A frame for the view

 This valley ends at the Akhurian River. The hill perpendicular to the valley is in Armenia.  If you look closely in the upper left corner slightly blow the mountaintop, you can see the Armenian military base.

We found the Church of Saint Gregory the Illuminator along the river.

After our group had time to look around, a four-legged group arrived.

If you look down from St Gegory's, you can see the pillars of an former bridge crossing.  This was the old Silk Route coming from Asia to Europe.

A group portrait in front of the Ani Cathedral, which was built in 987 AD.

The Ani Cathedral, also known as The Church of the Holy Mother of God

 The eagle is an Armenian symbol

The nave of the church has positions built into the walls for the 12 apostles.

Three of them are shown here.

 The diameter of the support columns is immense.

Down the path is the Mosque of Abdul Menucehr, built by the Turks in 1072.
It was the first mosque built in Anatolia.

The stairs in the minaret are very steep and  shallow.

There was a large marketplace near the cathedral made up
of rows of stone shops on both sides of a road.

One had a baking oven.

Several had types of food and wine storage.

This one had a half buried urn, which might have held wine, oil or grain.

This over turned minaret was at the end of a row of shops.

Looking from the top, you can see stairs.

Beyond the market were a row of workshops.

More ruins in both directions.

Finally, back to the entry gate.