The picture to the right is a ruined church in the city of Ani in northeastern Turkey on the Turkish/Armenian border. It is not on the tourist routes as yet-as it was previously restricted. Therefore, one can get the full impact of this amazing place. This place is haunted by the ghosts of the past. You can sense this from the moment that you enter this place. Ani was once one of the most prosperous cities in the region. At one time, a rival to Constantinope (Istanbul). Now, there is nothing but the wind blowing. If great cities can become desolate places, what does this say about the permance of our present cities. Can one be an urban flaneur while walking among the ruins of this ancient city? It is no longer a city because people do not inhabitate it. Do the ruined buildings speak to us of lessons that we can learn?
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