Smbat’s walls of Ani

Authors

  • Armen Kazaryan National Research Moscow State University of Civil Engineering
  • Karen Matevosyan Matenadaran, the Mesrop Mashtots Research Institute of Ancient Manuscripts (Yerevan, Armenia)

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DOI:

https://doi.org/10.51461/issn.2309-3072/85.2640

Keywords:

Armenian architecture, 10th–13th centuries, medieval fortifications, Ani, Smbat’s walls, city gates, fortress towers

Abstract

The study of the defensive fortifications of Ani founded by King Smbat II Bagratuni (977–989) is based on the results of studying medieval sources and searching for ways to reveal the architectural features of this monument of fortification architecture. Its image, developed by the ceremoniously presented lapidary building inscriptions, reliefs and inlaid images, by the khachkars inserted into the walls and crosses lined with polychrome masonry, reflected the concept of the royal capital city, the union of secular and spiritual authorities. The article comprehends the dynamics of the Smbat’s walls, which have preserved the planning idea and only a few fragments of the original structure at the base of the towers and gates.

How to Cite

Kazaryan, A., & Matevosyan, K. (2025). Smbat’s walls of Ani. Project Baikal, 22(85), 162–168. https://doi.org/10.51461/issn.2309-3072/85.2640

Published

2025-10-13

Issue

No. 85 (2025): a city and a park

Section

refereed articles

License

Copyright (c) 2025 Армен Казарян, Карен Матевосян

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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