Ani

The gates of Ani, the City of 1001 Churches. Ani was founded in the 5th century by the Armenian Kamsarakan Dynasty. Ani served as the capital of the Armenian Bagratuni Kingdom from 961 to 1045. At its peak, Ani housed a population of 100,000-200,000 people, a little smaller than Constantinople at the time. After it was captured by the Byzantines, it was subsequently ruled by the Seljuk Turks, Shaddadid Kurds, Georgians, Zakarid Armenians, Mongols, Kara Koyunlu Turks, Tamerlane's Timurid Dynasty, Persian Safavids, Ottoman Empire, Russian Empire, and finally, the Republic of Turkey. The city's strategic location between empires made it a wealthy hub of trade, but ultimately led to more bloodshed than good.

Ani is a 45 minute drive from Kars and is located on the border of Armenia and Turkey. We saw Mount Ararat along the way.

Ani was hard to traverse in deep snow.

The Turkish-Armenian border

The border gorge around Ani contained many cave dwellings.

The Church of the Redeemer was built in 1035 to house a fragment of the True Cross.

The Church of St. Gregory was built in 1215. During this time Armenia, including Ani, was a fief of the Kingdom of Georgia known as Zakarid Armenia. A wealthy Armenian merchant named Tigran Honents funded the church's construction.

Frescoes still survive on the outside and inside of the church.

Ani Cathedral was built in 1001 by Trdat, the greatest architect of the Bagratuni kings of Armenia.

Minuchihr Mosque, built in the 11th century, was the first mosque built in Turkey by the Seljuk Turks. The Kurdish Shaddadids helped the Seljuks conquer the Caucasus, and were made rulers of a vassal state that included Ani and Tbilisi. The Mosque was named after Minuchihr, the first ruler of the Shaddadid Dynasty.

The mosque has the most beautiful view in all of Ani; unfortunately, I couldn't capture it.

Ani Fortress

The Church of St. Gregory of the Abughamrents was built in the 10th century and served as a private chapel for the Pahlavuni Armenian noble family.

King Gagik's Church of St. Gregory was built in the 11th century and was modeled after Zvartnots Cathedral

Zoroastrian Fire Temple

Lion Gate

Quite the trek.

Kars

Eastern Turkey in Winter i.e. white

Sarah and I ventured from Akhaltsikhe across the Vale/Posof border into Turkey. We then proceeded south to as close to Iran as I will probably ever get.

There is a 14 mile stretch between Vale, Georgia and Posof, Turkey that has no available public transportation. While hiking to the border we were picked up by a luxury taxi and driven to the border for free. We had lunch and drank a bottle of wine with the driver, the owner of the border gas station, Edo, and their friend Mushroom. After we promised to bring our children there one year from now they flagged down an Iranian tour bus that took us to Kars.

Kars has been ruled by the Armenians, Byzantines, Georgians, Seljuk Turks, Ottomans, and Russians, and was also an independent city state for a time. The Russians, who occupied the city during the 1800s, have had the most visible influence on the city's architecture.

Mosque

The Armenian Holy Apostles Church, built in the 10th century.

Kars Castle

Kars

Kars Castle had an awesome staircase that you could slide down.

Kutaisi

Kutaisi is the legislative capital and 2nd biggest city in Georgia. Kutaisi and Tbilisi have traded the role of Georgia's capital since King Aeetes ruled the Kingdom of Colchis from Kutaisi during the time of Jason and the Argonauts.

Gelati Monastery is a UNESCO World Heritage Site 15 minutes outside of Kutaisi. Founded by King David the Builder in 1106, it was the religious and philosophical hub of Georgia for many centuries.

King David the Builder's grave. He was buried under the gate to the monastery so learned men could use him and his creations as a pathway to Georgian greatness.

King David ruled from 1089 to 1125, and during that time he drove the Seljuk Turks out of the Caucasus and ruled over most of modern day Georgia, Armenia, Northeastern Turkey, and Azerbaijan. He also built many churches, schools, and roads, earning the title "The Builder."

Bagrati Cathedral was originally built in the 11th century and was rebuilt in 2012. It is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site, but UNESCO doesn't like that it was rebuilt and has threatened to take it off of the World Heritage list. Though it may lose its UNESCO status, Bagrati Cathedral is now in use and is still very beautiful.

Batumi

Batumi, a slice of Georgian Black Sea paradise.

Why yes, that is a Ferris wheel in the side of a building.

Batumi is the capital of Adjara, a semi-autonomous republic within Georgia. Adjarians are an ethnic Georgian subgroup. Batumi is a popular gambling destination, attracting many Turkish and Russian businessmen.

Why yes, that is an upside down White House.

This was next to a children's playground.

Gonio Fortress is 15 minutes outside of Batumi. Scholars think it was built in 1st century by the Romans. It is also thought Saint Matthias, one of the 12 apostles, is buried there. Like all Georgian fortresses, it has been held by the Ottomans and Russians, but it was also controlled by the Genoese for a short time.

Ephesus

From Bergama we headed south to Selcuk, where Ephesus is located.

The Basilica of St. John the Apostle was built in Selcuk in the 6th century. It is claimed John wrote his gospel and was buried here.

Isa Bey Mosque was built by the Seljuk Turks in the 14th century.

The Grand Seljuk Fortress

What's left of the Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the World.

The House of the Virgin Mary. It is said St. John brought the Virgin Mary here after Jesus was crucified. Visiting the house is free, but Selcuk charges a "utilities fee" for the upkeep to all visitors.

Ephesus is perhaps the most extensive Roman ruin in the world.

Library of Celsus

Sarah and I (might have) explored the off limits part of Ephesus that was still being excavated.

Creepy

Pergamon

The ancient Greek city of Pergamon is located in modern day Bergama. It supported Rome in its wars against the Macedonians and the Seleucids, and was able to become a sizable independent kingdom in Asia Minor from 282 - 133 B.C. Its last king, Attalus III, bequeathed the kingdom to Rome on his deathbed, providing the Roman Empire a foothold to launch its conquest of Asia Minor. Above is a picture of the Temple of Trajan.

Pergamon puppies!

Bergama is also home to the Red Basilica. Once a temple of Serapis, a Graeco-Egyptian god invented by Ptolemy I to unify the two cultures, it was converted into a church, and later, a mosque. The Red Basilica is one of the seven churches of the Apocalypse in the Book of Revelation; it is said to be the dwelling place of Satan and the location of his throne. Pergamon is located on the top of a hill overlooking the city Bergama, and when dozens of calls to prayer occur at the same time and echo through the valley bellow, it isn't a stretch of the imagination to think their combined dissonant wail is the bellows of some terrifying creature bellow the basilica.