Church of Grigor Pahlavuny


A well-preserved central landmark in the heart of the Ani plateau, this rotunda-shaped church with a conical roof was built in about 980 for the wealthy Pahlavuni family.

On the 12-sided exterior, a series of deep niches are topped by scallop-shell carvings; above them, the windows of the drum tower are framed by double blind arcades. In contrast to the 12-faced exterior, the interior has a six-leaf clover plan.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby attractions

1. Manuçehr Camii

0.14 MILES

Ani's 1072 Manuçehr Camii was built by the Seljuk Turks, using Armenian architects and artisans, creating a stylistic blend in what is considered to have…

2. Kervansaray

0.15 MILES

The Church of the Holy Apostles (Arak Elots Kilisesi) dates from 1031, but after the Seljuks took the city in 1064 they added a gateway with a fine dome…

3. Ebu'l Muammeran Camii

0.15 MILES

The most substantial remnant of this 11th-century mosque is its minaret, now lying on its side with the spiral stairs inside clearly visible. It was…

4. Zoroastrian Temple

0.21 MILES

This ruined temple is thought to have been built in the 4th century AD, during a period of Sassanian influence from Persia. It might have been converted…

5. Church of Gagkashen

0.22 MILES

Even though the ruins of this once-enormous church are little more than its circular base and a jumble of column sections within, it is enough to grasp…

6. Ani Cathedral

0.23 MILES

Completed in 1010, the grassy-roofed cathedral is the largest building among the Ani ruins. The building's elegantly finished stone walls are relatively…

7. Cave Church

0.23 MILES

Dozens of caves cut into in the cliff-like sides of Ani Plateau were made into chapels and hermit cells. The most easily accessible is this partly…

8. Silk Road Bridge Supports

0.27 MILES

Two unconnected brick towers are all that remain of a once important 9th-century bridge that formerly straddled the Arpaçay, the river that now forms the…

  • placement: superzone
  • path: Destinations/POIs/superzone
  • possible size: [970, 250], [970, 90], [728, 90], [1, 1],
  • targeting:
    {
      "url": "turkey/ani/attractions/church-of-grigor-pahlavuny/a/poi-sig/1006604/1004553",
      "position": "superzone"
    }