[Photo.53/(001)] Double line of walls erected around Ani

Stereoscopic views of the double line of walls erected around Ani by Achod III, the Merciful (964) and Sempad the Conqueror (979) extending towards the north-east of the city, between the principal gates. These monumental fortifications have several gates and two lines of walls, decorated with mosaics and stone crosses. They are protected by numerous towers some of which have two or three stories and which contain large halls to accommodate soldiers. One can also see there a church. These fortifications which have suffered the assaults of Arabs, Persians, Greeks and Tatars have in several places been repaired at different times. In the east wall two mausoleums have been built to perpetuate the memory of two Armenian ladies, Dame Schanoush (1218) and Dame Mamghatoun (1219). [Translated from the French original]. The photographs are also described as ‘View along the walls to the ‘Lion Gate’.

Two identical 8.5 x 7.5 cm photographs taken by Onnes Kurkdjian in the 1870s and mounted on card.

Part of a set of 38 cards with stereoscopic photographs. Each card has the title ‘Collection “Ruines of Armenia: Ani; the capital of the Bagratides” by [facsimile of Kurkidjian’s signature], Erevan’ in French and Armenian. The cards have no captions but are hand numbered 1 to 42 and the subject of each card is listed in the accompanying booklets one of which is in French and German and the other in Armenian. The booklets note that the photographs for cards 11 and 12 were lost and, consequently, these cards were replaced with cards 41 and 42. Cards 9 and 10 are missing from this collection.