Page:A History of Architecture in All Countries Vol 2.djvu/486

470 BYZANTENE ARCHITECTURE. Pakt IL was founded in 1007, and erected, pretty much as we now find it, in the early part of the 11th century. It has, neither coupled piers nor pointed arches, but is adorned externally with reed-like pilasters and elaborate frets, such as were certainly employed at Ani in the course of the 11th century. The annexed elevation (Woodcut No. 921j of one of its windows, exhibits the Armenian style of decoration of this age, bnt is such as certainly was not employed before tliis time, though, with various modifications, it became typical of the style at its period of greatest development. 922. Plan of Cathedral at Ani. (From Texier.) Scale 100 ft. to 1 in. Ani. Even Etchmiasdin, however, sinks into insignificance, in an archi- tectural point of view, when compared with Ani, Avhich was the capital of Armenia during its period of greatest unity and elevation, and was adorned by the Bagratide dynasty with a series of buildings which still strike the traveller with admiration, at least for the beauty of their details ; for, like all churches in this part of the world, they are very small. If, however, the cathedral at Ani is inter- esting to the architect from its style, it is still more so to the archwologist from its date, since there seems no reason to doubt that it was built in the year 1010, as recorded in an inscription on its walls. This, perhaps, might be put on one side as a mistake, if it were not that there are two beauti- ful inscriptions on the fa9ade, one of which is dated 1049, the other 1059. To this we mii.st add our knowledge that the city was sacked by Alp Arslan in 1064, and that the dynasty which alone could erect such a monument was extin- guished in 1080. With all this evidence, it is startlino- to find a church not only with pointed arches, but with coupled piers and all the charac- teristics of a complete pointed-arched style, such as might be found in Italy or Sicily not 923. Section of Cathedral at Ani. Scale 50 ft. to 1 in.