The most controversial place I've ever been
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 18 เม.ย. 2024
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The story of Ani, the ancient capital city of the Armenian Kingdom, and its path from 1001 churches to... almost only one. That now sits inside the modern borders of Turkey.
The ruins at Ani are one thing that people say you have to see if you travel across Turkey to Kars… and I was determined not to miss them.
You can book to stay in the same Kars hotel as me here: agoda.tp.st/zCV7sBXD
And buy the same e-Sim that allowed me to stay connected to the internet this entire trip across Turkey (aka made it possible at all) from Airalo here: airalo.tp.st/5qe4wdET
(these are referral links, where I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you)
Let me know if you liked this more historical take / "thoughts from places" vibes. When I went there, I was so struck by seeing these ruins in front of the mountains. And when I left and read more about it, I knew I wanted to tell the whole story, and try to do it justice. I hope that I did that.
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for every "wow, an English person talking about borders" comment, I will donate 1 cent to the conservation of the ruins 🙃
hope you liked the different style, let me know if you want more historical videos, and if not, have no fear, my next video will be a long train journey :)
"Wow, an English person taking about borders" :)
wow, an English person talking about borders
Thank you Tom for this video, and the awesome presentation.
Wow, an english person talking about borders
Are you there to take some from Ani to British museum?
there is nothing "controversial" about the Armenian G-nocide at the hands of the Turks. What is controversial is the world's obstinate refusal to admit it...at all.
Only the Turks refuse to admit what happened
It’s more the Turks that deny it than the rest of the world. Turkey being in NATO one the one hand, on the other hand having agreements with Europe to retain migrants (being handsomely paid) keeps it shielded from international criticism.
@@eightballsidepocket9467 Except that almost nobody will openly acknowledge it, therefore they're denying it for Turkey's sake. Even non-NATO countries have little interest in acknowledging it.
Since the world denies it for their own convenience because of Turkey, it's the same in function is it not?
@@LordVader1094 Not at all. It’s more like diplomacy, if we don’t agree, we don’t touch on that subject.
Far removed from denying the facts. If not asked, very few feel the need to tell the world their opinion.
Most of western and central Europe, the US and Canada, Russia, most of South America, and many other countries, explicitly recognise the Armenian Genocide. Only two countries explicitly deny it: Turkey and Pakistan.
As an Armenian i thank you for making this video. The amount of Armenian (and others') lost heritage inside mordern day turkey is saddening. Even the ancient sites that have been discovered or are yet to be that are found within turkey's borders today... i couldn't imagine Armenians could ever properly research these discoveries because proto armenian history is in the ground all throughout the region as well
Why saddening😂 we have also archeologists😂
@@user-qx3mq7ff5c I’ll let you research that one yourself
@@user-qx3mq7ff5c i'm not saying you don't, but i'll let you research that one yourself.
The cilician empire was Armenian right?
@@user-ov6bv9cn1owasn’t an empire, but yes.
My village is 2 kilometers away from Ani - the closest settlement to it as far as I know. I love foreigners are valueing my homelands and teaching others about it, much love from Kars ❤ Thanks for all you're doing. You should check it out in the winter, the river frozen over will give you chills
Thanks so much for your comment, it means a lot to me that you liked the video :) You live in a beautiful part of the world. And I thought I was going there in snow season, early Feb 😭 I guess it had been too sunny the week I was there
@@thorntonClimate change affected it a lot, used to be much better. Also the main reason Ani’s been so unstable lately is because gold has been found there and all 5 joint protector countries are funding the mining operations and splitting profits (Turkey, Russia, Caucasus countries)
I was at Ani in the 80s...we had to have a military escort at the time to visit and had a taxi ride there. Beautiful area. We stayed in Kars en route to Van....
I was in Kars in December 1969
@Greonyx Are you armenian? Because if not, it´s not really "your" homeland. No offence.
I have been there. It is an unexpected shock how beautiful a place it is. All the historical buildings, the traditional and Classical Armenian architecture. The weird landscape that resembles the surface of Mars. Especially looking down to the Armenian side of the border, from a 1000 year temple (a mosque this time) on the other side of the high canyon carved by the Arpaçay river, with almost no tourist and in the perfect silence, only hearing the noise of the river down below and the sound of eagle flying over the canyon to hunt its prey was a surreal experience.
As a Catholic, the sight of that lone, beautiful church and the knowledge of its history is so incredibly beautiful and sobering.
Gloria Patri et Filio et Spiritui Sancto, sicut erat in principio et nunc et semper, per omnia saecula saeculorum. Amem.
@@servus_incognitus amen* 不amem.
Traveled in turkey, and I was shocked by the bizarre, defensive and neurotic behaviorby people of every political stripe( not KURDS though) acted in reference to Armenian Genocide. They denied it and blamed the Armenians for making it all up!
They seemed defensive about the the episode and the role of the of the TURKS in the historical record. They were very confrontational, even though I knew nothing at that time . I was shocked how everyone clung to the same story that did not vary person to person. It seemed like a kind of catechism. Very weird
It’s the Turkish governments narrative to try and shift blame away from them.
It's part of the school curriculum to deny the Armenian Genocide iirc. Taught from a very early age and unquestioned by pretty much anyone. And Turkey was never occupied and forced to undergo reform to be apologetic about it like Germany or even quiet about it like Japan.
It wasn't just the Armenians either, it was also the Assyrians.
@@Nylon_riotand the Greeks I will add.
No, it's part of their religion, which commands _Al-Taqiyyah_ Istanbullsh****
Professor Thornton is here and history class is in session. Don’t forget to take notes. This might be on the exam.
*everything* will be on the test
@@thornton I sure hope not
Amazing how well-preserved that church of St. Gregory ( the Illuminator, I'm assuming ) is. Apart from its interior, the exterior looks rock solid.
Always great seeing a 10/10 video from a smaller channel
Wow. This brought it all back. I visited Ani from the UK in 2015 on my motorcycle. I rode out from Kars in the morning intending to spend a few hours there, but didn't leave until evening was falling. It was the most haunting experiences of my entire nine month trip. The shock of turning a corner and slamming on my brakes at the end of the village of Ocakli as the road was cut short by the massive red walls of the medieveval city is something that stays with me even now. My imagination went into overdrive trying to picture it as it might have been at its height. It was heartbreaking at times to see the desolation and the state of the few remaining buildings. When I was there the floor of the church of St Gregory was covered in dung of some kind and the inner walls were spattered with what looked like bird droppings. Looking up into the collapsed dome of the cathedral gave me goosebumps. The building is exquisitely beautiful even in decay. I left at nightfall as the sun set on the broken but still impressive walls.Thanks very much for making and publishing the video. It was great to see it again through someone else's eyes.
You were most fortunate to have had that visit; and we for you allowing us to see what you saw. Many thanks
1:00 maybe not Central Asia, but Caucasia. Central Asia is just across the Caspian Sea.
Amazing video, those 9 minutes flew by. Hope you continue making great content!
🫡 much appreciated
Oof. That last line hit me hard. Well done.
in regards to your pinned comment- I love your train journey videos, but what I like most of all about what you make is your genuine excitement in discovery of the world, be it nature, history, infrastructure, etc. This video was great! A place I'm sure many people who watch will never be able to visit themselves, myself included. Thanks for sharing :)
Pretty sad that people would actually buy spray paint and go to such a desolate place to deface ancient structures!! No respect, no morals.....nothing!
Meccans and Medinans are just JEALOUS because in their Arabian homeland, all they have is deserts, sands and the BIG, Black cube IDOL.
Thank you for showing me Ani I never knew it existed.
*the Caucasus or eastern Anatolia (not Central Asia)
Or the Armenian Highland..
This is the first of your videos that I've seen, and it is profound. I knew someone who was Armenian, and knew about the g-word, so this hit close to home. It makes me want to see Ani, too.
OMG that video was absolutely amazing! Absolutely loved it
("wow, an English person talking about borders")
Greetings Sir, First I wish to thank you so very much for not losing your nerve filming ANI and its' surroundings. I am fairly certain I would not have been able to contain the fear I'm positive would have resulted had I visited the site, especially all alone! Bravo for producing an excellent video...well Done!
With Britain being in island I don’t think Brits get the concept that boundaries are transient
So wow, an English person talking about borders and their effects on people and history with such gentle depth and understanding
Thank you for this video
Stunning landscape and thought provoking commentary
@@tliltocatlalbopilosa1513 Good point, well made. Living just five miles north of the English channel it is sometimes too easy to lose sight of the bigger picture. Mea culpa.
That said, I don't think that any changes to the borders within Britain bear comparison with changes in the borders of, say, Romania between 1848 and the fall of communism, or Poland from the height of the Polish-Lithuanian Confederation to the depths of the Third Partition. I am grateful for that stretch of water to the south of where I am typing this for making most (although not all) of the history of British borders a comparatively peaceful one (and yes, I have a copy of George MacDonald Fraser's excellent 'The Steel Bonnets - The story of the Anglo-Scottish Border Reivers' on my desk to support your point!).
You know very little about the history of the British isles to make that statement. Find a good TH-cam channel that discusses the history of the British Isle and you'll see they did nothing but migration and change and invasion and assimilation for centuries. And they're still fighting
@@nnonotnowwe were talking about borders but never mind
Out of interest which area or period of British history do you believe that my knowledge is deficient in?
Be specific - oh and be careful as my knowledge may just be greater than you have envisaged
@@nnonotnowyoure missing their point. Britain is an island so border changes INSIDE the UK over the centuries have often been minor, compared to their example mainland recent border changes like Romania or Poland.
And that growing up in the UK the concept of borders feels eternal and definitive, because of the sea yet there are vast moving territories such as the one in the video we often overlook.
Completely ignorant, prejudiced and presumptive way of thinking. You would break down in tears if an English person claimed that you, not being English, can't understand what it's like to live in an economically advanced country and have no concept of how highly evolved, successful nations can preserve their same territory for centuries.
I don't know why Tom mentions Central Asia several times. It seems irritating since this region is somewhere else, east of the Caspian Sea.
I'm sure it wasn't intentional, purely occidental.
Beautiful pun. @@bluebird3281
wow an Engl;ish person talking about borders" - well done, btw - great production - amazing, mysterious, compelling narration - kudos ty
Very interesting!
I'm very familiar with that feeling you mention at the end
Your videos are always so calming - thank you :)
Awesome video. I love to go around tiny places people often forget in Europe and walk around just like you did: Early in the morning and with no one else around.
One of the reasons I always put villages and historical "hidden away from turists" locations on my map.
The feel of it is totally different and the thoughts rushes through our minds.
I hope you can visit more nice places like these and maybe we'll meet sometime in our journeys!
Thank you for sharing this with us. What an extraordinary place. I would like to visit Ani myself.
You've gone and made my upcoming trip to Germany seem pretty pedestrian. Stunning landscape.
Yes. Occasional videos letting us know WHY to take some of these trains would be helpful and educational. Great job with this one.
Beautifully narrated, Tom!
I was 19yrs old late May 1979 hitch hiked through there on way to India ...Martial Law in Turkey and Full Revolution in Iran, I was going to cross into Iran ,right by Mnt Ararat ..I did and lived had to go south into Bulichistan..and onto India ..
Thank you so much for this. What a brilliant video.
Incredibly well-done and refined video. I could listen to you talking about history and historical places all day, so should you ever record a podcast or audiobook, I would be one of the first to listen to it.
Ani seems like a stunning place and I really enjoyed your nuanced take.
Loved your story telling. Great video, just wow!
like an abandoned city from Italo Calvino's invisible cities...
thank you for this video - it does give a strange vibe. I imagine what a modern city it would be now, like "any" other from a western european country: Paris, Bologna, Lyon, Venice, London, Munich, Frankfurt, Barcelona........... with its old walls - but I imagine precisely because it's not there; there's no Ani to be found. They want to see Ani before dieing, they will not - only something different, only in imagination, or in a rebuild
A place that has set off a similar feeling of awe within me, in that region, is Mount Kazbegi in Georgia. It is hugged by Russia to the north and Russian-occupied South Ossetia to the west and one of the most important cultural sites for Georgians. And being on it is simply breathtaking.
South Ossetia is not occupied. Georgia shouldn't have kicked out thousands of Ossetians if they didn't want them to revolt.
Great video Tom, thank you :) I like the new approach.
What a great video, well shot, well written and focused on the subject of the video and not its creator. Concise, informative...I could go on!
Liked and subscribed. Thank you for making this wonderful presentation , I am so happy to have found your channel. This video oozed history , from ancient to modern
This is now in my personal list of top 3 favorites on your channel @thornton - Wonderful job! 😎👍
🌞 lovely to hear
Absolutely incredible video! Thank you for discussing the region, its history and the current situation, it's hard to hear about but very interesting. I love your travel videos and would definitely love to see more history content! Can't wait for the next one :)
Aw that’s so nice, thank you :)
Amazing! Thank you for the information and views!
Fantastic video. I did pass through that area as a backpacker in 1974, going from Turkey to Iran... but I had no idea there was anything there. Thank you for posting.
Such an intelligent Lad you Tom!
Put the subjects in question so well.
What a beautiful video, loved the writing.
Great mate! Travelling should be the way to explore unique places - cheers for that!
Just subscribed & Liked your video - keep sharing
I just read your comments and I would definitely be keen to watch, and discover the Sites you visit. The subjects are very interesting, I love History and the subject of the Silk road is one of my favourites and I want to add the video is entertaining and educational as well. I sincerely look forward to more of your productions, Thank you and Good Luck!
Great video! Awesome location! Good work!
I loved this. I have all kinds of questions and new things to learn bc of this video. In addition, thx for touring this for ppl too busy, unable to afford, or for various reasons cannot make this journey.
Your video appeared in my feed. It’s so well written and finely composed that I had to check out your channel. If I may: ditch reviewing trains and buses, you have a wonderful potential for walking your viewers to historic locations. Places that not everybody has a chance to visit during her lifetime.
Thank you. Well done. Very interesting video about an amazing place with a tragic history.
Im glad that you visited Ani and appreciate its history. However the situation on the Turkish Armenian border is not as bad as you are portraying. Of course tentions exists but you are definetly not in danger in any way whatsoever. Thanks for the video!
Lmfao nice propoganda
GREAT FOOTAGE!!!!
Well spoken!
Just a bit less inhabited than your neighbourhood in Melbourne a few years ago. Haven't had much free time to trawl through TH-cam until now. Thanks for sharing your adventure to this unique historic location. Cheers!🙂
Just subscribed - this was fascinating!! I need to learn more!!
Such meaningful commentary. Thank you for sharing Tom.😊
Great Vid. relaxing and informative. keep it up
TH-cam suggested this video to me. I must say your voice threw me, as you sound remarkably like a person on a channel I am subscribed to. Any way, beautiful video, perhaps some day we will stop drawing lines in the dirt to fight over. Thank you
From Kars, it is only a short Trip to the north-west, towards the Black Sea, to the Turkey-Georgian border. There you will find the historic Georgian region of Tao-Klarjeti, where you can see the beautiful relics from the time of the medieval Georgian kingdom. These cultural monuments are alsow definitely worth a visit.
wow thats an incredible video, thank you for doing this
6:22 looks like something straight of the video game Kenshi
I hate the fact that I, as a Turish person spent three whole summers working on preserving Ani and countless other students is not mentioned and if you only watch this video you get the feeling that Turks don't give a damn about it ;(
I'm sure he would have mentioned it had he have known. I'm more than aware that Turks do their bit to preserve the medieval and classical ruins of the civilisations of Anatolia that came before them.
And I say this as a Greek.
That’s lovely but doesn’t take away from the fact that Turks have destroyed a lot of Ani and other historical Armenian sites. Dont be so oblivious
@@nicofelie how many mosques are there in greece? Armenia? the greatest works of Armenians are in Turkey just look at Haghia Sophia it was renovated 4 times in the Ottoma era.
@@und3rcut535 it’s because those works were taken from Christian’s. And there’s enough mosques built on the lands constantly being taken from us until we cease to exist. Now trying to take tavush where my family mausoleum is. I’m persona non grata in Azerbaijan by virtue of being Armenian. As such, once Azerbaijan takes all of tavush as they truly plan to, I won’t be able to even visit my fathers grave.
That's nice but it doesn't change the fact that the Turks committed a genocide in the region and then spent much of the 20th century destroying Armenian sites.
Great report Tom, very interesting in a place with a terrible history.
Fascinating. Thank you!
Nice!!
A few things about the area that might also be worth mentioning:
1. Why was it called the land of 1001 churches? What would motivate that?
2. Why is there also an Armenian Quarter in Jerusalem?
3. Why is Mt Ararat called the Holy Mountain (Agri Da)?
4. What are Drogue Stones used for and how could such huge stones be lifted high up to the area around Ararat?
4. What's hidden beneath the rubble of the earthquake caused Ahora Gorge up on Agri Da?
In the opening scene Ani almost looks like an abandoned shopping mall in the United States. The mongols did so much damage to so many historical places and peoples. I had no idea that part of the world was so cold and desolate. Very sad what happened to Armenia. I feel bad for them because Russia no longer helps them because of its stupid war in Ukraine and the west can’t help them because it needs Turkeys cooperation in dealing with Russia and helping Ukraine against Russia.
Very cool video. Good information and well presented.
Thank you for this informative video.
Our beautiful, beautiful Ani, the capital of Bagratid dynasty. We go there as tourists, we cry, we sing the song you mentioned, we pray at the Cathedral and return back home to Eastern Armenia... go visit Van as well, the church on the Akhtamar island in the lake of Van, you'll see another Armenian treasure from the same era, much better preserved.
Thank you for a fascinating video... Huzzah!! 😊
Great tour , thanks from old New Orleans 😇
I’ve been here back in 1992. Beautiful
Tom, you are my favourite youtuber.
An emotional video and a brave act to make such a document given the location.
Fantastic video, I’d never heard of Ani.
Excellent informative - and very tactful - video!
Wow, thank you for sharing your experience with us Tom. So much bloodshed through out history. Man's inhumanity to man, is very sad.
The church of St Gregory was designed by Armenia"s greatest architect; Trdat.
Very interesting video about the remains of an ancient Armenian town in Turkey. It is neat Mount Ararat, which the Armenians claim as theirs. It is actually in Turkey, but is visible from the former Soviet Republic of Armenia.
Recently I was listening to singer-songwriter Serj Tankian being interviewed on CBC Radio 1 (either on Q or on Commotion), and his grandparents were immigrants from Armenia. In his music, he incorporates elements of his heritage.
Beautiful landscapes.
Very interesting, thank you!
thanks :)
Thank you for a fascinating look at this ancient city of ghosts.
Good video 👍
Such a sweet little cylindrical chapel. Maybe it's round aero dynamic shape is one reason it's still standing.🌿
Thanks, Tom, I have no connection to Ani but I am fascinated with it's architecture and it's past lives.
Ani was peaceful despite the past & current history. 2 hours felt short for us too... It also made me & my mum visit Armenia a few months later just because i wanna see the Turkish-Armenia border + Mt Ararat from the other side...
Watchtowers aren’t called Russian towers because of the Soviet history, they are called so because Russia guards Armenia’s Turkish border per their military agreements. If you saw any soldiers manning the posts on the opposite side, you saw Russian soldiers.
Nice to see , thankyou!!
Those are some views! I almost thought the thumbnail was from Mongolia. Super interesting video; I love the combination of travel and education. Another TH-camr that I follow religiously, Itchy Boots, has a background in geology and also shares a lot of interesting political, historical and geological information along the way. It's a winning format I think!
Great side, great video.
I really liked this video :)
Spectacular ❤
Hitler said," Yes, we can. WHO REMEMBERS THE ARMENIANS ?"
I'm lucky enough to have been to Ani on a private tour that included Mt. Nemrut, Urfa, and Harran, among other places in eastern Turkey. Wouldn't necessarily feel safe there today. I'll further admit I lied about my (American) nationality more than once. You hit the feeling of the place spot on!
I always think of SOAD when people speak about Armenia. Cool video
Absolutely facinating. I'll be doing a deeper dive into this Geo-political nightmare after watching this. Such a beautiful place, too!
Very easy to be spiritual under that sky in the shadow of a snow-capped mountain range.
Very very cool !!
Can not stress HOW MUCH I enjoy your pieces and how intelligent and well-written they are -- however -- "unique" means one of a kind, so something can't be "very unique," it's either one of a kind or... it isn't. And for items in a group of one-of-a-kind things or places, it wouldn't make sense to say one is more unique than another. Machu Picchu can't be more unique than Ani. Thank you for all your hard and wonderful work. You're right: Ani is delightfully and movingly unique.