15 Prehistoric Rock Paintings Discovered Near Ancient Armenian City Of Ani

AncientPages.com - Fifteen rock paintings discovered in a village close to the ancient city of Ani in the eastern province of Kars will play a significant role for the area to be declared a world heritage site by UNESCO.

The 15 rock paintings carved on the rocks depict hunting scenes with horses, dogs, mountain goats, deer and humans.

It is hope that the entire area of the Alem village, about 11 kilometers away from the ancient city of Ani on the Turkish-Armenian border, will soon be added to UNESCO’s World Heritage list

The ancient Ani was once the capital of a medieval Armenian kingdom that covered much of present-day Armenia and eastern Turkey.

“2016 will be a very important year for the future of Ani, Kars and Turkish tourism. The Alem village is home to 15 rock paintings that have never been examined and belong to humanity," said  Vedat Akçayöz, the head of the Culture and Arts Association in the eastern province of Kars.

"The importance of this discovery is that Ani and its environment dates back thousands of years older than we had known. Therefore the inns, rock tombs and settlements around the ancient city of Ani should be declared an archaeological site as a whole. Works have started in the rock tombs.

"On Nov. 24, a committee including the museum director, archaeologist and art historians coordinated to collect the data for registration. These rock paintings will play a significant role for the ruins of Ani to be included in the UNESCO list in 2016.”

Ani is protected on its eastern side by a ravine formed by the Akhurian River and on its western side by the Bostanlar or Tzaghkotzadzor Valley. The Akhurian is a branch of the Aras River and forms part of the current border between Turkey and Armenia.

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source: Hurriyet Daily News