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Ani: the abandoned capital on the border
Photo: Zeki Okur / Unsplash, Unsplash Licence
Editor's route Dark tourism

Ani: the abandoned capital on the border

In the morning, look over the city from Kars Castle, then head to Ani on the Armenian border: enter through the Lion Gate and walk to the Mosque of Manuchihr, the cathedral and the Church of Tigran Honents on the edge of the Arpaçay valley. Once a capital home to tens of thousands of people, it now stands on a deserted plain; a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2016.

Duration1 days
Walk≈ 3 km
Stop5
Tickets0
AP

AnatoliaPass editorsDark tourism and industrial heritage collection · last checked 22 October 2026

Respect guidelines
  • Border area: do not leave the marked paths or go down into the valley, and follow the warnings when taking photos towards the border.
  • Do not enter ruined buildings or climb the walls; the stones are loose.
  • The site is large and has no shade: bring a hat and water in summer, warm clothes in winter.

Dark tourism means visiting places where people have confronted suffering, loss and hard labour: prisons, dungeons, abandoned and submerged towns, underground shelters, and the factories and mines that paid the price of industry. Every place in this collection can be visited legally and with permission; there are no routes into abandoned private property or building sites, or routes built around watching neighbourhoods where people live. Battlefields, martyrs' cemeteries and memorial sites are in the “Remembrance and mourning” collection. Please respect the story of the places you visit.

Make your own version
  1. 1

    Kars Castle

    Start: central Kars, old town; walk uphill to the castle or take a taxi · stay 45 min

    The castle looking down over the city; its present walls were largely rebuilt in the Ottoman period, at the end of the 16th century. In the old town at its foot there is a stone bridge and historic baths.

    Kars Castle
    Photo: Francesco Bini / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

    Check the castle's opening hours before you go.

  2. 2

    Lion Gate · Ani entrance

    ≈ 40 min by car (46 km) from Kars; public transport is limited, so you need a taxi or a tour · stay 20 min

    The main gate in Ani's northern walls, named after the lion relief beside it. You still enter the site here today; behind the walls the plain suddenly opens up.

    Lion Gate · Ani entrance
    Photo: tobeytravels / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

    Check tickets and hours before you go.

  3. 3

    Mosque of Manuchihr (Ebu'l Menuçehr Camii)

    ≈ 10 min walk (800 m), west side of the site · stay 30 min

    Considered one of the first mosques in Anatolia, it is attributed to the Shaddadid ruler Manuchihr; its minaret overlooking the Arpaçay valley can be picked out from afar.

    Mosque of Manuchihr (Ebu'l Menuçehr Camii)
    Photo: S Kaya / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0

    It may be covered in scaffolding during restoration; ask the staff about going inside.

  4. 4

    Ani Cathedral

    ≈ 5 min walk (300 m) · stay 30 min

    The cathedral built by the architect Trdat and completed in 1001; although its dome collapsed in an earthquake, it is the largest building in Ani. Under the Seljuks it was also converted into a mosque.

    Ani Cathedral
    Photo: Francesco Bini / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

    Do not cross the tapes around the restoration scaffolding.

  5. 5

    Church of Tigran Honents

    ≈ 7 min walk (500 m) towards the valley; then ≈ 15 min back to the Lion Gate · stay 40 min

    The church commissioned by the merchant Tigran Honents in 1215; the frescoes on its inner walls are the best preserved in Ani. It stands on the edge of the Arpaçay valley; the opposite bank is Armenia.

    Church of Tigran Honents
    Photo: Dosseman / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

    Do not go near the edge of the valley; follow the border warning signs.

One more day? Bursa.

Outside Istanbul

≈ 2 h 15 min · fast ferry + bus · Day trip

Why here: The first Ottoman capital. The Green Mosque, the Grand Mosque and Koza Han make an easy day trip; we suggest it if you are staying in Istanbul for more than four days. Not part of this route.

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