Was there a forest in Armenia (around the city of Ani) between 961 and 1045?

Recently I discovered the existence of the ancient city of Ani (Armenia) which was "one of the world’s largest cities, with a possible population of circa 100,000." between 961 and 1045. See the Wikipedia article, or this article from The Atlantic

Pictures of the ruins are stunning and show an advanced civilization, equivalent to what can be found in Europe. The city seems to be lost in an empty steppe, without resources and forest.

Was the vegetation around the city similar to what we see nowadays (a steppe without trees)? In particular, was there a forest at that time, now gone due to timber production?