Armenian architecture: the Cathedral in the deserted city of Ani, Kars, Turkey. THE CATHEDRAL OF ANI Structure: Marr-Orbeli site 73. Other designations: Church of the Holy Mother of God; Surp Asdvadzadzin; Azize Meryem Katedrali; Fethiye Camii. The Interior The inside of the cathedral is tall, and rather dark - and would have been even more so when the central dome was in place. This is not a flaw, but an intention. Since the apse and side-chambers account for about a quarter of the interior space, the vaults east of the dome are short, considerably shorter than those west of the dome. Four massive clustered piers in the rectangular nave support both the dome and the arches supporting the roof. The barrel vaults along the east-west and north-south axes are almost as high as the base of the drum, and are expressed outside in the two intersecting pitched roofs. The spacious apse is accommodated beneath the easterly roof and revealed on the outside facade only in the form of a window between two deep niches. The chancel within the apse is elevated from the rest of the floor and has a row of ten semicircular niches containing seats. It is flanked by two-storied chambers whose upper floors are reached by narrow stairs accessed from within the chancel. Design Analysis In spite of having a basilica plan there is little longitudinal emphasis to the design. The building has a short length relative to its breadth and height, and vertical proportions are further emphasised by the use of clustered piers and pilasters. These are shaped as a cluster of square and semi-circular pilasters grouped around a central column. The numerous ribs thus formed rise upward and continue onto the arches supporting the roof and dome. This, together with the use of pointed arches, gives an impression of powerful verticality similar to that found in Gothic architecture (which this building predates by several centuries). However, there is no evidence to indicate that there was a connection between Armenian architecture and the development of the Gothic style in Western Europe. Interior Details On the apse, hidden under Turkish whitewash, are faint traces of a painting representing God enthroned - it is of a later date than the cathedral; probably from the 13th century restoration. The capitals also show traces of simple, geometric painted decoration. Huge gaps in the interior masonry probably indicate the former position of khatchkars - hacked out when the building was converted to a mosque, or by later treasure hunters. Armenian inscriptions have in recent years been deliberately hidden by coverings of paint designed to match the stonework. This (together with bird droppings) defaces much of the fine interior masonry. Where facing stone next to the floor has been lost, the stone floor paving is seen to run under the walls and a simplified outline of the building’s plan can be seen incised into this paving. Probably the entire plan of the cathedral was carved onto the floor before building work on the walls began - ancient Greek temples were laid out in a similar fashion. The 13th Century Restoration? Some hold that much of the Cathedral's present appearance is a result of a massive restoration, almost a re-building, during the early 13th century. This theory was first proposed by Nikoli Marr, who thought the Cathedral too advanced to be entirely from the 10th century. He tried to explain away the numerous pre-13th century inscriptions on its walls by saying that they were 13th century copies of earlier originals. The theory lacks credibility - there is no structural evidence to back it up, and the exterior details (the position of the arcades, the windows, the niches, etc.) are too closely integrated with the interior to be from a different period. ...back to the first page on the Cathedral.

1.   The interior - click for a larger photo 2.   Looking up at the dome 3.   The row of semicircular niches in the apse 4.   The apse with icons in it, a pre-1920 photograph 5.   Side aisles, showing the clustered piers 6.   The vault over the south transept

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