Cathedral of Ani

Ani, Turkey

No longer standing

Demolished or destroyed.

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The Cathedral of Ani, the largest standing building in Ani—the medieval capital of Bagratid Armenia, now in eastern Turkey near the Armenian border—was completed in the early 11th century by architect Trdat. Built of dimension stone in Armenian architectural style, this domed basilica with rectangular plan originally served as the seat of the Catholicos, head of the Armenian Apostolic Church. Following the Seljuk conquest in 1064, it was converted into a mosque before returning to Christian use. A 1319 earthquake collapsed its conical dome, beginning the structure's decline as Ani itself was gradually abandoned. The cathedral's pointed arches and cluster piers have prompted scholarly consideration of possible influence on Gothic architecture. Though damaged further by the 1988 earthquake, it remains Ani's most impressive structure and, along with the entire site, received UNESCO World Heritage designation in 2016.