This article is part of a series on the ruins of Ani. This is the third article. You can read the others here
The Holy Virgin Cathedral of Ani aka the Fethiye mosque
Many consider the holy virgin cathedral of Ani to be the biggest and most impressive building in the region.
Built in 1001AD and converted into a mosque in 1071, it has seen much controversy in recent years despite its dormant state.
Controversy number one was the decision by the famous fashion magazine Elle to base a photo shot in the cathedral. Public opinion was split in two as fashion lovers declared they loved the article while some Armenians said it was disrespectful towards their heritage.
Controversy number two was the Turkish political party held Friday prayers at the mosque. Religious leaders in Armenia said it was a political stunt and even though the building was a mosque, its origins started as a church.
Whatever controversies loom over the public ideas of the cathedral, it is hard not to be impressed at the pure size of this structure.
The exterior does not wow but the Gothic appearance inside the building does.
Owing the impressive décor to the architect called Trdat, I then discovered that he was the same architect who once completed a redesign in 1064 of the Hagia Sophia church in Istanbul.
Large columns hold up the celling, which did consist of a dome until an earthquake in 1319 bought it tumbling down.
The church / mosque was constructed from various types of stones and there is also in-depth discussions by historians over suspected work done on the décor in the late 13th/ 14th centry.
While history experts may not agree whether that renovation work took place, they all agree that the cathedral of Ani (Fethiye Cami) is one of the masterpieces of ancient Armenian architecture.
Further reading – 3D model of the cathedral of Ani
Looks just amazing there, Natalie. Great photos. Sad that religious buildings are caught up in controversy like this. Like the Aya Sofya, maybe it would be an idea to have it officially declared a museum so that all religions can appreciate this as the beautiful religious building that it is.
Julia
Hi,actually the Aya Sophia has been declared a museum since 1935!
Exactly Julia – I chose just to appreciate it for its beauty rather than concentrate on its role as a church or mosque.
@yellow flower – Yes, that is what Julia said “like the Aya sofya”
Natalie recently wrote about..The Tigran Honents Church of Ani
. . when J and I were there there was a large group of Armenians on the cliff just over the border. They were there to pray and were getting as close as they could to this church which is so important to them. Got to thinking that a footbridge across to allow pilgrims access would go a long way towards re-building bridges between people.
Alan recently wrote about..Annie Get Your Won!
Nice thought Alan but can never see the footbridge happening. Would be nice though if they put some money into keeping it standing first
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So beautiful!
Jade – OurOyster.com recently wrote about..Travelling With Children – Interview With FamilyOnBikes
Exactly Jade – a master piece created hundreds of years ago
Natalie recently wrote about..The Tigran Honents Church of Ani
A fashion shoot in a mosque – or church… seems very blasphemous, disrespectful even.That said, this looks like a very interesting part of Turkey.
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You have a point there Sophie and I am surprised that permission was given
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Gorgeous photos! I am finding that the more and more I travel Europe, the more drawn I am to places like this as opposed to the must-see European cities everyone heads for. You’ve given me yet another place to add to my list, Natalie!
Glad the place appealed to you Jennifer. The more people that see it and talk about it the better.
Looks like an interesting place to visit. The first photo makes it look so much smaller, like it’s this tiny building plopped down in the middle of nowhere, which makes its size even more impressive.
Ali recently wrote about..Are You Afraid to Travel Alone?
I realised that when i was uploading the photos Ali. Did not see it before
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I love the arches.
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Quite impressive aren’t they?
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I think I’m impressed by the landscape, too. That first photo is impressive. Nice.
I was in the right place at the right time for that photo Sherry
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