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History
and coin finds in Armenia, Coins from Ani, Capital of Armenia (4th c. BC - 19th
c. AD)
Khatchatur Mousheghian (U),
Anahit Mousheghian, Cécile Bresc, Georges Depeyrot, François Gurnet.
After Antiquity, Ani became one of the most famous cities in Armenian
history. After the Sasanian period, the town became, in the 10th century, the
capital of the Armenian Batraguni kingdom. In 961, after several attempts to
take Duin (occupied by Islamic armies), king Ashot III proclaimed Ani as
the new capital of the whole Armenian kingdom. During the centuries, armies
attacked Ani, but the 10-12th centuries were the period of splendor of all the
Armenian kingdoms. In 1045, Ani became a Byzantine city but was soon after
devastated by Alp Arslan and occupied by Shaddadids. In 1236, Jalal al-Din and
the Mongols devastated Ani. It was the beginning of the decline of the city. Nearly 2.000 coins and 12 hoards were found in Ani. The most important
part was Byzantine bronze coins sometimes with countermarks and Islamic coins. The book contents maps and graphics, and is illustrated with 16 plates of
photos. Khatchatur Mousheghian was director of the Coin Cabinet of Yerevan
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