The film “Ani” prepared by the Research on Armenian Architecture NGO premiered last night.
Between 1918 and 1920 Ani, the capital of the Bagratuni Kingdom, was part of the Republic of Armenia. In October 1920 Ani together with the whole Province of Kars was re-invaded by Turkey. In 1921 the signing of the Treaty of Kars signed between Bolshevik Russia and Kemalist Turkey formalized the incorporation of the Kars Province into the Republic of Turkey.
This put an end to the archeological research conducted in Ani. The excavations were resumed only in late 1990s without the participation of Armenian specialists. It’s clear, however, that these works are conducted with the violation of the scientific norms of restoration of monuments and with obvious aspirations for appropriation.
The film “Ani” tells about the historic monuments of the capital city of the Bagratuni Kingdom.
