On the border of Turkey and Armenia, 45 kilometers West of Kars, lies the ghost town Ani. At its heyday, one thousand years ago, Ani was the capital of an Armenian kingdom. It had a population of more than 100,000 people and was the rival of Constantinople, Baghdad and Cairo. At that time Ani was called "The City of 1001 Churches" and was renowned for the splendor and magnificence of its buildings.
Now, its once crowded streets and marketplaces are empty as the city turned into a ghost town, deserted except for the presence of Turkish soldiers and the occasional tourist. (Location: Kars)

Uploaded by slavica on 10/9/2005, viewed 10105 times.