Turkey has launched a project to conserve an ancient Armenian cathedral and church in what is seen as a gesture of reconciliation toward its neighbor. Turkey and Armenia have been locked in a bitter dispute for decades over the mass killings of Armenians in Turkey in the last years of the Ottoman Empire. The project aims to conserve the remains of the cathedral and the Church of the Holy Savior in Ani, 25 miles from the eastern Turkish city of Kars. According to the New York-based World Monuments Fund, Ani — “one of the world’s great cities in the 10th century” — was once the site of hundreds of religious buildings, palaces, fortifications and other structures. Today it stands abandoned and the remnants of its celebrated buildings are in a precarious state. The site, in an earthquake-prone area, has been listed on the World Monuments Watch since 1996.
Associated Press
via Turkey: Historic preservation – Travel – MiamiHerald.com.