Ani, capital of the medieval Armenian Kingdom, now lies in ruins. It was a politically, economically and culturally advanced center that over the centuries has symbolized Armenian statehood. A quintessentially lost city in the Armenian imagination and beyond, Ani has evolved from a real into an imagined place, turning into an enduring cultural icon evoked by generations of Armenians.

By the 19th century, Armenians in Transylvania, who had assimilated into Hungarian culture, still considered themselves "Ani Armenians." This identity symbolized their association with the nobility and the Armenian elite, during a period when neither their religion nor their language connected them to the Armenians living in the Ottoman or Russian Empires. Ani emerged as a significant place of memory, deeply ingrained in the identity of Transylvanian Armenians.

The presentations will explore different representations of Ani and examine the impact of the lost city's legacy on heritage and identity. What can we learn from the example of the Ani Armenians? How can identity be preserved without the support of a motherland? How did this community maintain its distinctiveness in a foreign linguistic and cultural environment, while becoming an integral, creative, and influential part of society? These questions will be examined in two panel discussions with invited experts.

Sections:

16:00 Ani – The Quintessentially Lost City in the Armenian Imagination and Beyond 

This section explores Ani's transformation from a tangible historical city into a powerful symbol of Armenian identity and memory, reflecting the complex interplay between homeland, statehood, and cultural memory. The presentations collectively examine how Ani has been reimagined and repurposed across different contexts—whether as a center of trade and diplomacy, a contested site in modern Turkey, or a place of pilgrimage and cultural reflection. 

  • Prof. Dr. Peter Cowe (Professor of Armenian Studies at UCLA): The Interface of the National and Commercial in Ani's Multifaceted Gestalt 
    The presentation will focus on Ani's multifaceted identities during its periods of growth and decline, emphasizing the city’s integration into Mediterranean trade networks and its significance in the Armenian narrative of homeland and statehood. 
  • Prof. Dr. Elke Hartmann (Professor of Ottoman Studies at Free University Berlin): Loss and Appropriation: Kars and Ani in Today's Turkey
    This presentation addresses the contemporary significance of Ani, focusing on the sites’ complex historical memories and the ongoing efforts to deal with denialism, intergenerational silence, and the shrinking of official representations of Ani. 
  • Dr. Konrad Siekierski (cultural anthropologist, postdoctoral researcher at Free University Berlin): Ani as an Armenian pilgrimage site
    The contribution offers an anthropological perspective on Ani as a pilgrimage site, exploring its role in Armenian cultural and religious identity, and how it has become a space for both conflict and cooperation in the modern era. 

18:00 Ani’s Memory in Armenian Culture and Diaspora

The second section highlights Ani's ongoing relevance as a site of cultural heritage, identity, and contested memories. Our guests will explore different representations of Ani and examine the impact of the lost city's legacy on heritage and identity. 

  • Dr. Bálint Kovács (Head of the Department of Armenian Studies at the Pázmány Péter Catholic University): Ani-Armenians in Transylvania 
    The talk will focus on the unique historical narrative of the Armenians in Transylvania, who in the late 19th century believed themselves to be descendants of the inhabitants of Ani. This belief highlights the enduring influence of Ani as a cultural and identity symbol among the Armenian diaspora, particularly in Transylvania.  
  • Dr. Karen Jallatyan (research fellow at the GWZO Institute in Leipzig): Photographic Afterlives of the Lost City of Ani 
    This presentation will discuss the early photographs of Ani by pioneers such as Ohannes Kurkdjian and Aram and Artashes Vruyrs. It will explore the various forms of fascination with Ani captured through photography, emphasizing its significance for the Armenian diaspora and theorizing different ways of engaging with the lost city. 
  • Dr. Vahé Tachjian (head of the Berlin-based Houshamadyan Project) and Dr. Joseph Rustom (Associate Professor of Urban Studies at the École Supérieure d’Architecture de Beyrouth): The Reactivation of a Model: Ani Cathedral and the New Churches of the Armenian Diaspora in Lebanon 
    This talk will focus on how the architectural legacy of Ani, particularly the Cathedral of Ani, has influenced church architecture within the Armenian diaspora. The presentation will highlight how the construction of Armenian churches in Lebanon reflects the enduring impact of Ani's architectural heritage.

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