The artificial caves at Ani, known as the "underground city". THE CAVES OF THE UNDERGROUND CITY Descriptions of Ani often mention the "underground city", the "rock city" or the "subterranean city". In reality, these descriptions are just bits of whimsy - nothing as extensive enough to be called a "city" ever existed underground at Ani. The rocky cliffs around Ani are formed from layers of soft tufa stone under harder basalt - an ideal situation for cutting chambers into. These chambers had various functions. Some were tombs, some were storage warehouses, some were dovecotes, some were houses, some were religious establishments. Sometimes they are on several levels, linked by internal staircases. Most are entirely carved out of rock, but many originally had rubble masonry or timber frontages. They are scattered throughout all the cliffs that encircle Ani, but are most densely concentrated along both sides of the Alaca river valley that borders the western edge of the city. This is the ancient Tsaghkotsadzor or "Valley of the Flower Gardens". The caves were studied by Russian archeologists in 1915. They investigated around 500 "units" (chambers?), including 30 churches, 8 groups of tombs, and 16 dovecotes.

1.   Looking down into the Alaca valley - the large structure on the left is the "Merchant's Palace" 2.   The Alaca valley - click for a larger photo

3.   A chamber, said to have been a royal tomb

4.   Inside the tomb chamber pictured opposite

The Tomb of Tigran Honents Hewn out of the cliffs opposite the church of St. Gregory of the Abughamrents are the remains of the chapel created by the merchant Tigran Honents during his lifetime to house his tomb. Most of this chapel collapsed long ago, but a small section, still with frescoes, survives. The drawing below, from the 1880s, shows one of the frescoes depicting an archer (a saint) on horseback. Close by, further down the valley, is a large complex of caves. It was probably a monastery and comprised many rooms on several levels. A large section of these caves collapsed during the 1989 earthquake; fortunately Tigran Honents' tomb and its frescoes escaped further destruction. (NB: under current Turkish army restrictions, visitors to Ani cannot visit any of the valleys containing the caves.)

5.   The frescoe with the mounted archer today 6.   A series of chambers within the supposed monastery complex

7.   Frescoes in the tomb of Tigran Honents - click for a larger photo

8.   A close-up of a section of these frescoes - click for a larger photo

9.   A close-up of a section of these frescoes - click for a larger photo

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