“When I was younger I read and heard stories about the ancient Armenian city of Ani and even dreamed I walked among its discarded ruins.” Thus writes Harry Harootunian, about experiencing Ani without ever setting foot in it. Since its modern rediscovery in the 19th century, Ani has attracted visitors, pilgrims, scholars, as well as poets and artists. This lecture examines Ani as an object of heritage and as an inspiration for artistic projects. Ani became a site to be excavated and preserved as a historical monument. However, for much of the 20th century Ani was difficult or impossible to access. Despite its inaccessibility, Ani remained an object of religious veneration and a cultural referent for a global diaspora. What does it mean to create cultural heritage about a site that is inaccessible? This lecture will present examples of cultural heritage about Ani from the late 19th century to the early 21st century.

Join us on zoom here:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82532075932