Ani

A medieval Armenian capital standing empty on the Turkish side of a closed border. Between 961 and 1045 it was the seat of the Bagratuni kingdom and possibly held around 100,000 people, though scholars argue that figure is too high for the ground inside the walls. It never really recovered from the Mongol sack of 1236, an earthquake in 1319 finished much of what was left, the trade routes moved, and the last monks walked out in 1735. What remains is a plateau of roofless churches and a cathedral above the gorge of the Akhurian, with Armenia visible on the far bank and the border shut. UNESCO listed it on 15 July 2016 as a meeting place of Armenian, Georgian and Islamic traditions. You no longer need a permit from the Ministry of Culture as you did before 2004; buy a ticket at the site. Kars Province, Turkey.