Some Features of the Cave Churches of the Ancient Settlement of Ani in the Context of Architecture of the Christian East

Abstract

The article discusses several notable monuments of cave church architecture of the settlement of Ani, on the territory of which there are more than 1500 rock-cut structures that had a variety of purposes. The author identifies the characteristic features of the studied monuments, among which one can first distinguish the funerary function that unites them. In search of analogies, the author of the study refers to the architectural heritage of other areas of the Christian East: North Africa, Egypt, neighboring regions of Asia Minor and Transcaucasia, which makes it possible to identify similar solutions both in the monuments of ground and rock-hewn (cave) church architecture. The dating of the churches is preliminary given, based on the analysis of plans and decorative solutions presented in the rock-cut structures, but requiring clarification in the future.