Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Puglia Italy - Matera
Italy • 8 days, 7 nights
Southern Italy: Castles, Caves & Coastal Treasures in Puglia
from
Turkmenistan Gates of Hell Darvaza crater
Turkmenistan • 10 days, 9 nights
Turkmenistan & the Gates of Hell
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Pinal Airpark
Note the chrysanthemum crests.
Hachiman Bridge
Clarendon War Memorial.
Clarendon War Memorial
This fried chicken is one of Bangkok’s most famous.
Gai Tord Jae Kee
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
Order a flight of infused ya dong shots.
Tep Bar
Thai-Chinese makes up Bangkok’s largest diaspora.
Nai Ek Roll Noodle
This fried chicken is one of Bangkok’s most famous.
Gai Tord Jae Kee
Chefs Aruss Lerlerstkull and Atcharaporn Kiatthanawat lean into regional traditions.
Charmgang
The khao soi at Gedhawa comes with a rich, coconutty broth.
Gedhawa
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Haleakalā National Park’s summit region, shrouded in the pre-dawn fog.
Beware the Legends Behind These National Park Souvenirs
7 days ago
For Aguilar-Carrasco, nature is a powerful reminder of the interconnectedness of all life.
How Can National Parks Be Made Accessible to All? AO Wants to Know.
7 days ago
Podcast: Finding ‘The Great Gatsby’ in Louisville
8 days ago
Here’s which treats you can safely lug home without risking a fine.
Dear Atlas: What International Food Can I Legally Bring Into the U.S.?
10 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Turkey Ocaklı Köyü Ani Ghost City

Ani Ghost City

An abused and forgotten metropolis, abandoned for centuries.

Ocaklı Köyü, Turkey

Added By
Evgeny Koptev
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
  User Submitted
  User Submitted
Cathedral   http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The...
  User Submitted
  User Submitted
  User Submitted
Menüçehr Mosque   http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/comm...
Dome interior, St. Grigory   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Ani_-_Ti...
Church of st Tigran   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Tigran_A...
Ani   philoursmars
Ani   philoursmars
Ani and USSR frontier (picture made in 1991)   philoursmars
Ani   philoursmars
The ghost city of Ani   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Ani_from...
Ani   philoursmars
Ani   philoursmars
Engraving c. 1885   http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/58/Double-Walls-Northside-Ani-Armenia-1885.gif
Cathedral interior   http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ani...
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

"The army entered the city, massacred its inhabitants, pillaged and burned it, leaving it in ruins and taking prisoner all those who remained alive...The dead bodies were so many that they blocked the streets; one could not go anywhere without stepping over them."

   -Arab historian Sibt ibn al-Jawzi, c. 1064

Sacked, abandoned and forgotten, the magnificent medieval city of Ani was once home to as many as 200,000 people, but has stood empty and in ruins for centuries.

Called by some the "City of 1001 Churches," and by others the "City of Forty Gates," Ani is situated in disputed territory within the Turkish province of Kars, near the border with Armenia. The city was originally Armenian, but the territory on which it stands is still argued over between modern day Turkey and Armenia.

Once a contemporary rival of Constantinople, Baghdad and Cairo, Ani fell to a succession of invaders . Both contributing to the ruin's slow demise and as a result of its deterioration, earthquakes, war, and vandalism have all take their toll. However, sentiment is emerging that the city needs to be protected no matter whose jurisdiction it falls under.

The city's many remaining churches are extraordinarily beautiful, even in their ruined state. The minaret Menüçehr Mosque, newer than many of the churches but still nearly a thousand years old, still stands as a testament to the city's long history and diverse cultural influences.

International heritage organizations have long been concerned with Ani's fate. In 1996, 1998 and 2000 ,Ani was included in the World Monument Fund's Watch Lists of 100 Most Endangered Sites.

Official permission was needed to visit or photograph the site until 2004, but as notions of conservation and historical intrigue have sparked more of an interest in the area, regulations like these are no longer needed and it has become much easier to visit Ani today.

Despite recent improvements, in 2010 Ani was identified by the Global Monument Fund as part of their report on endangered world heritage sites. In 2011 the World Monument Fund announced the beginning of official restoration work in partnership with the Turkish Ministry of Culture.

Related Tags

Abandoned Ruins Relics And Reliquaries Catacombs And Crypts Ghost Towns

Community Contributors

Added By

ekoptev

Edited By

Vagabond, philoursmars

  • Vagabond
  • philoursmars

Published

January 14, 2012

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • http://www.kuriositas.com/2011/01/ani-ghost-city-of-1001-churches.html
  • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ani
  • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cathedral_of_Ani
  • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saving_Our_Vanishing_Heritage
  • http://www.wmf.org/project/ani-cathedral
  • http://www.rferl.org/media/photogallery/turkey-armenia-ani-tourism/26667839.html
Ani Ghost City
Ocaklı Köyü
Turkey
40.5075, 43.572778

Nearby Places

Minuchir Mosque of Ani

Ocaklı Köyü, Turkey

miles away

Ani Overlook

Kharkov, Armenia

miles away

Cathedral of Mren

Karabağ Köyü, Turkey

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Ocaklı Köyü

Ocaklı Köyü

Turkey

Places 2

Nearby Places

Minuchir Mosque of Ani

Ocaklı Köyü, Turkey

miles away

Ani Overlook

Kharkov, Armenia

miles away

Cathedral of Mren

Karabağ Köyü, Turkey

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Ocaklı Köyü

Ocaklı Köyü

Turkey

Places 2

Related Stories and Lists

Five Ghost Towns Abandoned after Disasters

disasters

By Darmon Richter

Related Places

  • Madise, Estonia

    Madise's Lost Cemetery

    Tombstones buried in overgrown grass mark the deceased occupants of this abandoned graveyard.

  • Cabin made of old railroad ties.

    Carlin, Nevada

    Palisade

    Little is left of this formerly bustling railroad junction on the Transcontinental Railroad.

  • Malo Grablje, Croatia

    Abandoned Village of Malo Grablje

    This deserted town in the hills of Croatia’s "party island" may have a scandalous connection to King Henry VIII.

  • Argonne, South Dakota

    Argonne Ghost Town

    Once a thriving town of 100, Argonne was abandoned around 1970.

  • Nye County, Nevada

    Warm Springs Ghost Town

    The only thing still moving in this town is the eponymous hot spring.

  • Perlora, Vacation City

    Perlora Ciudad de Vacaciones, Spain

    Perlora Ciudad de Vacaciones (Vacation City)

    The closed and crumbling Francoist luxury resort for workers is still full of life—for now.

  • Conata

    Conata, South Dakota

    Conata

    A ghost town now swarming with dozens of prairie dogs.

  • Borgo Fazio (administration building)

    Trapani, Italy

    Borgo Amerigo Fazio

    A never-inhabited village that was built as part of Mussolini's agricultural reforms.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.