"On the way to... Ani" a Kars Ili Travel Page by ByeByeBayan

Between Yusufeli and Kars, the scenery on the road is beautiful. I did not take any photo in Kars. My purpose was to visit Ani, which is 45 km away from Kars. A thousand years ago Ani was the capital of an Armenian kingdom. Right on the border with modern Armenia, it is now uninhabited for more than three centuries. I explored the ruins of those medieval Armenian churches under the supervision of soldiers in civilian clothes and of my taxi driver. Part of the site is forbidden to visitors, but all photos are now allowed. Ani had once a population of at least 100 000 and it was known as the "city of a thousand and one churches" on the Silk Road. The site where it has been built is spectacular. The authorization is not necessary anymore, and you don’t have to buy the ticket at the museum anymore. You can buy it on the site.