The Church of Saint EliaOther names include Virgin's Castle, Kiz Kalesi, Kuysiamrots, Kusanats, Surp Astvadzadzin, the church of Zak'aria, the church of Zak'are, the church of Kizkale, see also Zakare's church, is located in Kizkale, near Ani in Turkey. It was built by the Zakarids in the early 13th century, as well as the nearby church of Tigran Honents. p.211: "The Church of St. Gregory of Tigran Honents, dated by an inscription in Armenian on the exterior of the church to 2015."p.212: "The church dedicated to St. Gregory the llluminator, was founded by the wealthy merchant Tigran Honents in 1215, when the city was under the control of Zakarians."
The building of the church came at a tumultuous period: in 1064 the city of Ani had been captured by the Seljuks from the Byzantines, who granted it to a Kurdish line of Muslim emirs known as the Sheddadids. "In 1064 the Seljuk Turks captured the city, and granted it to a Kurdish line of muslim emirs known as the Sheddadids, who intermarried with the Bagratid family, and who were also vassals of the Seljuks. The Sheddadids ruled Ani for a hundred years, from about 1072 to 1199, during which time Georgian leaders attacked the city on several occasions. A Georgian alliance of princes known as the Zakarids (referred to as the Mqargrdzeli in Georgian sources), with a combined Georgian and Armenian army, eventually took Ani and ruled there from 1199 to 1237." Then in 1199, the Zakarids, vassals of the Kingdom of Georgia, captured Ani with a combined Georgian and Armenian army. Ani was then captured and destroyed by the Mongols in 1239.
Part of an inscription on the church reports its building at the time of Queen Tamar (ruled 1184–1213) by Zakare amirspasalar (Commander-in-Chief of the Georgian army), probably circa 1200:
In another part of the inscription the brothers Ivane and Zakare are described as "Kings of Armenia".
Parts of the church have collapsed in the 1988 earthquake.
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