Ani – Ghost City of 1001 Churches

The city of Ani, originally in Armenia but now on the Turkish side of the still-disputed Turkey-Armenia border, was once a thriving metropolis of 200,000 people. That was over a thousand years ago, when the town was the designated headquarters of the Armenian Church. The thriving Christian population built so many houses of worship that Ani became known as the City of 1001 Churches. Those churches are in ruins now, and the people are all gone. The confluence of history and geography was no friend to Ani. The city was rolled over as various conquering empires fought their way through: the Byzantines, the Turks, the Kurds, the Georgians, the Mongols, and the Ottomans. There are now only remnants of the beautifully-decorated stone churches, which you can see at Kuriositas.

(Image credit: Flickr user sunoochi)