Long walls of derbent. Derbent fortress: history and sights (photo). The strategic purpose of the complex

November 27th, 2017

The walls of Derbent are an amazing monument of ancient fortification in Russia. There are no analogues to it in Western Asia, despite the fact that these walls were built by the Persians in the Sasanian era, there is nothing like it on the territory of Iran itself, the continuation of the Long Walls of the Caucasus across the Caspian Sea - the Gorgan Wall is now almost completely in a ruined state, therefore, to judge stone Persian fortification is now possible only along the fortifications in the Derbent region.

At the moment, it is recognized that the stone walls of Derbent were erected in the 6th century under the Sasanian king Khosrov I Anushirvan on the site of more ancient adobe walls built by his predecessors, the kings of Persia, Yazdegerd II and Kavad I. Whether the Long Walls existed on the site of Derbent even earlier is a question interesting, but there is no clear answer to it. Based on the essence of these fortifications that blocked the passage along the Caspian Sea, we can conclude that some walls existed before the Sassanids, because the term "Caspian Gate", usually referred to Derbent, has been known since the 6th century BC.

Archaeological excavations in the citadel of Derbent have confirmed the antiquity of the local settlement, some kind of fortress existed here back in the time of the Scythians, but it is not known whether the Greater Caucasus Pass was blocked by any walls at that time.

The very location of Derbent made it possible to control the passage along the Caspian Sea, in this area the spurs of the Caucasus Range come very close to the sea, so this 3.5 km long segment could easily be blocked by fortifications.
The process of building fortifications in the east of the Caucasus was complex and lengthy, the passages along the Caspian were not always strengthened in the narrowest places, in the territory of northern Azerbaijan, the remains of walls erected across a wider passage are known - this is the Shirvan wall (its length on the plain is about 8 km), also there are insignificant ruins of the walls in an even narrower passage than the Derbent one - in the area of ​​​​the Beshbarmak rock (2 km) in the same place in northern Azerbaijan. Perhaps it was the walls in Beshbarmak that became the prototype of the Derbent ones, since they are similar in their plan to two almost parallel lines of Derbent fortifications, only the Beshbarmak fortification was inferior to the latter in quality, the walls there were created from clay and poorly processed stones, so they almost did not survive to our days. time.

Even the very essence of the fortifications of the Caspian Gates may not always be clear, the fact is that the generally accepted main property of such walls is the protection of southern agricultural civilizations from the raids of nomads from the north, no doubt that all these fortification lines were erected by immigrants from Iran and Transcaucasia. But the names of the Derbent fortifications in historical sources are often in dissonance with their main point- protection of developed agricultural states, because the old names of Derbent - the Hun Gates, the Khon Gates, the Khon Fortress, rather indicate that the passage along the Caspian Sea could be controlled by the northern nomads, including through the construction of fortifications in this area.

The beginning of the southern fortress wall of Derbent.

The Derbent fortifications of the Caspian passage consist of two lines of fortification, connecting in the area of ​​the citadel of Derbent, one line included two almost parallel walls that went from the citadel to the sea (and even continued hundreds of meters deep into the depths of the sea), the second consisted of a very long The mountain wall (Dag-bars), which stretched 40 km west of Derbent and crossed the spurs of the Caucasus Range.

There will be a separate story about the Mountain Wall, but now let's look at the impressive ruins of the northern and southern walls of Derbent, it was they who formed the topography of this city, because the local settlement, which has become large medieval center, has always existed only inside these walls. The city never spread out in breadth, but always sought to fill all the free places in the narrow space between the lines of ancient fortifications.

Derbent had a classic Persian urban layout and consisted of a kuhendiz - the Citadel (Naryn-Kala), a shahristan - a fortified upper aristocratic part adjacent directly to the Citadel, and a rabad, in this case a fortified settlement in the lower part of the city, where long time predominantly Christian population.

View from the citadel to the remains of the southern fortress wall and shahristan - upper city Derbent.

The walls of Derbent were about 4-5 meters wide and about 10-15 meters high. Now only the northern wall has survived to its full height, but it is difficult to climb it in order to view it from above. The southern wall, which is in the photo below, is worse preserved, but it is available for inspection.

There is an opinion that the northern wall was built first, which actually protected the Derbent passage from nomads attacking from the northern plains of coastal Dagestan. The southern wall was erected later, it was supposed to prevent attacks from the Transcaucasus, the southern wall became especially relevant during the long confrontation between Shirvan and Derbent, when, after the collapse of the Caliphate, local dynasties began an irreconcilable struggle for leadership in the region.

Therefore, we will begin our examination of the Long Walls from the northern, best-preserved line of fortifications.
It begins at the foot of the Citadel with the fortress gates of Jarchi-Kapy (Messenger's Gate), here the khan's herald (dzharchi) read out the decrees of the ruler. In Arabic texts, this gate is also called Bab al-muhajir (Gate of the fugitives), it is believed that the Khazars fled from the city through it, unable to withstand the siege of the Arab troops.

Unfortunately, most of the gates of Derbent came in a rebuilt form, Russian architects of the 19th century did their best here. The appearance of Jarchi-kapa in 1811 was greatly changed by the Russian engineer Karpov, he replaced the old lancet arch of the gate with a new semi-circular one. It is interesting that the early Sasanian arch of these gates could also be only semicircular (if these gates existed at all in Sasanian times), since only the Arabs began to use lancet arches for the first time, they significantly strengthened and rebuilt the entire Derbent fortification. But, most likely, in the Sasanian era, these gates did not exist at all, because the early Arabic written sources do not mention them.

The most powerful tower of the northern wall of Derbent, it covered the most important gates in this direction - Kyrkhlyar-Kapy (Forty Gates).

The wall gradually descends from the hill of the Citadel. Numerous reconstructions of the fortifications are visible, the ugliest (upper) was made already in the 21st century for the celebration of the city's 2000th anniversary in 2015.

Picture of a horse on the wall.

The Kyrkhlyar-Kapy Gate got its name from the nearby Kyrkhlyar (Forty) cemetery, where, according to legend, 40 Arab martyrs who died in battle with the Khazars were buried. The Arabs called these gates Bab al-jihad (Gate of the Holy War), since it was through them that the Arab troops went to war with the infidels (usually the Khazars).

The lions on the gates of Kyrkhlyar (and these are lions) were mentioned by Arab authors as early as the 11th century, so it can be assumed that they have been preserved here since the Sasanian times.

The gates themselves are very archaic, which indicates their significant age and precisely Persian origin. The later gates of the southern wall were erected as separate bastions, they were supplied with side towers and were structurally more complicated than the northern gates.

Northern wall of Derbent. It was these fortifications that held back the nomads of the north for a thousand years. One can only guess about the horrors of the wars for the Caspian passage, in the history books they only briefly write about these events, although there are serious assumptions that it was the endless wars of the Caliphate with the Khazar Khaganate that stopped the advance of the Arabs into Europe, because the resources for these wars were incredible, the Khazars often broke through Derbent fortifications and reached in their raids almost to Iraq. Derbent passed from hand to hand several times a year, the Khazars not only stormed this city, but also defended it, so Derbent is not only a Sasanian, Arab, but also a Khazar city in many respects, a separate Khazar quarter existed here for almost its entire medieval history.

Behind the gates of Kyrkhlyar there is an interesting section of the wall, where interesting masonry is clearly visible; Moreover, during the construction of the fortifications of Derbent, blocks of the outer stone shell were laid on a dry one, only the inner backfill was poured with mortar. This method of laying walls was characteristic of all the fortifications of Derbent, including the Mountain Wall, the remains of which can still be found in the forest to the west of the city.

Stones of internal filling with mortar can be seen on this part of the walls, mutilated by the growth of trees.

Kirchlyar gate view from the inside.

The north wall had 45 towers, usually round towers here they alternated with rectangular ones.

Some kind of archaeological site near the northern wall. The degree of its neglect can be judged by the collapse of the glass dome. Unfortunately, most of historical objects of Derbent is in a terrible state, much is destroyed by economic activity local residents or from the crazy reconstructions of modern reenactors.

The next gate of the northern wall of the Dash-Kapa (Gate of Stone) has not been preserved, but at least you can see the opening where they once were. They were rebuilt many times and were finally dismantled in the 60s of the 20th century.

After Dash-Kapa, ​​the northern wall follows through a picturesque wasteland of some kind of long-term construction, here they wanted to make something similar to a park, but as you can see, the laid paths themselves have already become an archaeological object, although, judging by the material, the tiles for the paths were laid relatively recently, a maximum of 10 -15 years ago.

The northern wall has preserved here the remains of machicules (mounted loopholes), which apparently were equipped with all the walls of Derbent in the Middle Ages.

Interestingly, the current, in some places remaining, battlements on the fortress walls are very different from the early battlements of the Arab and Sasanian times. Old battlements were found on the ruins of the Mountain Wall and are now in the Derbent Museum in the Citadel. They have a stepped pyramidal shape characteristic of many ancient structures of Asia Minor; similar teeth can be seen even in the images of Assyrian palaces and fortresses.

Here, on the overgrown wasteland, you can find another gate of Derbent - this is the mysterious Bab al-qiyamat (Gate doomsday), these gates are around the 10th-11th centuries. were half-filled, i.e. it is impossible to pass through them through the wall, they became a Sufi cult place and apparently symbolized the entrance to the underworld (i.e. underground). Here, in addition to numerous Arabic inscriptions, a burial place of some saint was found, Bab al-qiyamat was used as a pir (holy place, grave) until the 20th century, it was called Burunj pir (Corner feast), then they were forgotten for a long time, and now after excavations archaeologists, they are incredibly overgrown with thorny bushes, so I could not somehow inspect them and took only a couple of photos from afar. There was a feeling that the bushes were planted here on purpose, so that tourists would not be able to get to these gates.

Surprisingly, in the adjacent section of the wall, I discovered another semi-underground passage, about which nothing is known and also overgrown with bushes.

The round tower-bastion of the northern walls of Derbent, as we see, there are no vaults inside, the ceilings here were exclusively wooden. In earlier Arab times, many towers of the walls of Derbent served as block mosques, but now it is difficult to say where they were located specifically, even the blocks themselves can only be guessed at.

Numerous small holes in the walls can be traces of driving nails, in Dagestan there has long been a similar custom, it is believed that if you drive a nail into the wall the first time, some desire will come true if the nail does not enter, respectively, no. Nails were driven in some holy places, for example, a lot of them were driven in around the gates of the Day of Judgment, which we examined above, why there are many holes on this wall is not clear.

After Derbent became part of Russia, a lighthouse was built on one of the bastions of the northern wall in 1853.

Derbent was a port city before, since the time of the Arabs, but now from ancient port nothing left. At the moment, the length of the walls that go deep into the sea is not known exactly, according to the stories of Arab authors, the walls of Derbent could stretch into the sea for 100 meters or more, thereby protecting the port and creating a cozy harbor for ships. It seems that some remnants of the walls in the sea were found in the 60s by L.N. Gumilyov, but the exact plan of the Derbent port is unknown.

Coast of the Caspian Sea near Derbent. When in this place the Long Walls went hundreds of meters deep into the sea.

The last ruins of the walls of Derbent are visible in the area of ​​the railway, apparently these are the remains of a tower.

Some kind of square tower is built into the wall of a modern building, also next to the railway tracks.

Having reached the sea coast, we will begin to move back to the Naryn-kala citadel to inspect the ruins of the southern wall.
The southern wall differed from the northern one in a shorter length, as well as in the abundance of fortress gates, this was due to the fact that the southern direction in Derbent was more often used for economic and commercial activities, because roads went to the central parts of Western Asia from here. Numerous gates on the northern wall would create vulnerable areas of defense, because any gate in the fortresses is always a vulnerability.

It is interesting that back in the 19th century in the Russian Derbent, the growth of the city took place precisely in southbound- towards Azerbaijan, because of this, a significant part of the southern walls of the city was demolished, while the fortification of the north of Derbent was almost completely preserved.

In the southern wall, the most extreme gates to the sea, the Dubary kapy (Gate of the Double Wall), have been preserved, they differ from the northern flanking towers, characteristic of the entire southern Derbent fortification line. It is not known when these gates were erected, but in 1184 they already existed, as evidenced by the inscription about their restoration. The name Du-bari kapa apparently follows from the presence of the remains of another wall next to them - a mud wall, created under the Sasanian shahs Yazdegerd II or Kavad. The remains of this adobe wall existed at the beginning of the 20th century, but now it is very problematic to find them.

Most likely Dubar-kapy was built by the Arabs, since earlier there were also lancet arches here, which were even captured in a photo of the 19th century. But now, as we can see, these arches do not exist, they died during the 20th century, and were replaced by the fantasies of modern restorers in 2015, who instead depicted several arches different heights one high and round, since it was with such semicircular arches that the old lancet Russian builders in Derbent replaced in the 19th century. In general, there were Arab fortress gates, but they became Russian triumphal ones, judging by their modern look. Even the Russian architect Karpov himself would not have come up with the idea of ​​​​making the arch of the fortress gates of such a height, he was still a military engineer, and not a modern dreamer-reenactor.

Dubara-kapa gate at the beginning of the 20th century.

A significant section of the southern wall has now disappeared, and with it at least three gates have disappeared - Bab Hims, Bab Kaisar or Bab Filastin, Bab Dimashk, all of them were named after the residential quarters of the city of the times of the Caliphate - Chomsky, where people from the Syrian city of Homs, Kaisar settled , where immigrants from Palestinian Caesarea lived, it may have coincided with the Palestinian (Filastin) quarter, Damascus (Dimashk), where the Arabs from Damascus lived.

For the Arabs, Derbent was of great importance, since it closed the approaches to the central part of the Caliphate from the north, so the caliphs settled here numerous Arab settlers, who were entrusted with the task of protecting the borders of the Islamic world. The Arabic name of the city itself spoke of its importance - Bab al-abwab (Gate of the gate). Derbent was the main stronghold of Islam in the Caucasus, it was from here that the Arab warriors carried out their expansion to the entire North Caucasus.

Fortunately, the most beautiful gates of Derbent have been preserved - this is the Orta-Kapy (Middle Gate) of the southern wall. Sometimes they were called Bab al-hadid (Iron Gates), this name was often applied to the whole of Derbent.

Bab al-hadid, indeed, had gates lined with iron, this is mentioned by Arab authors. The Arabs rebuilt these gates from the old Sasanian ones, they erected a luxurious portal with a pointed arch and also reduced the height of the opening of the old Persian gates, making them more impregnable.
Orta-kapy were the main gates of Derbent along with the northern gates of Kyrkhlyar, between them a through road passed through the whole city, connecting the Arab Caliphate with the Khazar Khaganate.

The lion on the gates of Orta-Kapa could have appeared both in the Sasanian period and later, during the reign of the Shirvanshahs.

You can safely climb the stairs to the battlefield of Orta-kapa from the inside of the gate. The inscription on the banner reminds us that Derbent is now a predominantly Shiite city.

The south wall is actively used for residential construction; it has become the foundation of many residential buildings. The heterogeneity of the masonry suggests that the wall was repeatedly dismantled and then reassembled.

Many stones of the Derbent walls sin with polygonality, which exposes them hoary antiquity, so they built in the ancient world, and the Sassanids continued to use a similar polygonal masonry, after them the Arabs began to use more even blocks in construction.

It is not clear why it was necessary to disfigure the ancient walls in such a way, specifically using material very different from the original, especially in such an arbitrary way. Why was it necessary to build old wall, if in the plans of the current reenactors there was not even a hint of getting closer to the historically accurate appearance of the walls. In fact, some kind of stone fence was erected over the remains of the old fortifications.

At the very foot of the hill of the Naryn-kala citadel in the 8th century, the Arabs erected a gate, now called Bayat-kapy, they served as the main entrance to the upper aristocratic quarter of Derbent. Like other gates in the city of Bayat-Kapy, they came down to us in a heavily rebuilt form, under the Arabs they had lancet arches and vaults, but in 1811 Karpov also turned them into semicircular ones, plus he added loopholes over the passage. From Arab times, only the base of the gate has been preserved; in terms of plan, it was a protruding bastion with two semicircular towers at the corners.

The Arabic name of these gates Bab al-Maktub (Gate of the Inscription) implied the presence of some Arabic sayings above the gate, now they have all disappeared, but a Russian one appeared in the 19th century - "Time destroyed me, obedience built me, 1811".

In the southern wall of Derbent there is another gate - Kala-kapy, the fortress gate at the top of the Naryn-Kala citadel, but we will examine them next time, in a post dedicated to the most ancient part of the city - its citadel.

To be continued...

Previous post about Dagestan.

Derbent is the most ancient city in the Russian Federation. It is located in Dagestan, on the shores of the Caspian Sea. The exact date of the founding of the city is not known for certain, but historians suggest that its age is at least 5 thousand years. The main attraction of the settlement is the Derbent Fortress. The photos presented in this publication allow you to see all the beauty and grandeur of the ancient

The strategic purpose of the complex

The fortress in the vicinity of Derbent was built to protect the peoples who inhabited the Transcaucasus from the destructive invasions of northern nomads. It is a massive defensive complex, which included city, sea, mountain walls and Naryn-Kala (citadel). Ancient buildings were erected during the reign of the Sassanid dynasty. In their power, they were not inferior to the Great Wall of China.

The city did not have the most favorable strategic position and was vulnerable from the side and the sea, therefore local population paid Special attention its strengthening. Massive walls surrounding locality from all sides, became a reliable defense against conquerors.

Landmark origin theories

Historians have not been able to find out who built the Derbent fortress. There are many legends about this. One of the legends says that the founders of the city and the fortress were fire-breathing giants who inhabited these lands before the advent of mankind.

There is another version of the appearance of Derbent and the fortress around it. According to her, the founder of the ancient city was Alexander the Great. ordered to build an impregnable wall between the mountains and the sea, crown it with towers and install iron gates in it so that strangers could not penetrate here. Many historians consider this version of the emergence of the fortification complex a legend, since Alexander the Great never visited the described lands. But the very fact of the existence of various versions of the appearance of the defensive complex testifies to its significance in the life of southerners.

Naryn-Kala

Looking at the photographs of the Derbent fortress, one can see that the center of the defensive structures was the huge citadel of Naryn-Kala. Of all parts of the complex, its stone walls are the best preserved, which gives tourists the opportunity to admire this marvel. ancient architecture In his best. Naryn-Kala stretches along the city for 700 m. The thickness of its walls in some places reaches 3.5 m, and the height is 20 m. The citadel rises on top of a 300-meter steep hill. Steep slopes reliably protected it from the invasion of enemies from the east and north. The southern part of the fortification is equipped with steps, and on its wide walls there are platforms used today by tourists to view the panorama of the city and the Caspian Sea.

Derbent fortress Naryn-Kala is an irregular structure with an area of ​​4.5 hectares. Its walls are decorated with numerous tower-shaped ledges, located at a distance of 25-35 m from one another. A large tower rises in the southwest corner, connecting the citadel to the city wall.

Internal buildings

Inside the citadel you can see the ancient khan's baths with windows in the roofs and buildings that have survived to our time (they lie in ruins). One of these buildings was a cross-domed church of the 5th century, later converted into Muslim religious institutions. Also on the territory of the citadel was located the oldest mosque in Russia, Juma, founded in the 8th century. In ancient times, the Khan's palace was located here, but today only ruins remain in its place, by which it is difficult to judge the beauty of this building.

Of particular note are the two stone water tanks located inside the citadel. They were built in the 11th century by Byzantine craftsmen. Large reserves of water were placed in the tanks, which allowed the fortress to withstand a long siege of the city by the invaders. The liquid entered the reservoirs from the springs through special ceramic and thanks to this, the population of the city was provided with water even in the most difficult times and did not surrender to the enemies. But the Derbent fortress was not always impregnable. The story contains information when the enemies managed to capture the city, poisoning the springs and leaving its defenders without water.

The citadel served not only as a defensive, but also as the administrative center of the city. It housed the office, the court and the underground prison (zindan), from which it was impossible for the prisoner to escape. Its walls were inclined, and the criminal, once imprisoned, was forced to die of hunger. The prison is located behind the ruins of the Khan's palace.

Lovers of antiquity are happy to visit the museum, opened on the territory of the citadel. It exhibits household items, ceramics, stone tools, precious jewelry, weapons, coins, etc. Some of the rarities are several millennia old.

A guardhouse built in 1828 (after Dagestan became part of Russia) rises on the central platform. This building today stores paintings depicting Derbent. Outside, the guardhouse is decorated with anchors and cannons from tsarist times.

Other parts of defensive buildings

The Derbent fortress, a photo of which all tourists strive to bring from Dagestan, attracts not only with the citadel, but also with its walls. Their length within the city is 3.6 km. The northern and southern walls were built parallel to each other. The distance between them ranges from 300 to 400 meters. Dag-bars (mountain wall) stretched for 40 km in the direction of the Caucasus Range. Unfortunately, it could not be preserved in its original form: in many places the building collapsed. The sea wall closed the entrance to the city from the Caspian side. She plunged into its waters and stretched for almost half a kilometer. Like Dag-bars, the sea wall has been preserved in fragments.

Gates

Within the walls of the fortress defensive complex there were several small but very strong gates through which in ancient times it was possible to get to Derbent. They not only protected the city, but also were its decoration. The gates were opened for guests, allies and merchants. The entrances were located in different parts of the fortress. They still have elements of rich decor, by which one can judge how beautiful they were in antiquity. The doors looking to the north, from where hostile nomads could come to Derbent, looked massive and intimidating. In contrast to them, the southern entrance to the city was elegant and solemn. Today it is difficult to establish the exact number of gates, since not all of them have survived.

Landmark names in different languages

The Derbent fortress has always impressed travelers with its size and power. Foreigners gave her different names, but in almost all of them the word "gate" was present. This is not surprising, because in the walls of the fortress there were a large number of strong doors through which it was impossible for enemies to penetrate into Derbent. The ancient Greeks called fortification Caspian gates, Arabs - Bab-al-Abva (Main), Georgians - Dzgvis Kari (Sea), and Turkish residents - Temir Kapysy (Iron).

Hypothesis of a single defensive wall

Anyone who is interested in the history of Derbent and the Derbent Fortress will be interested to learn about the theory expressed by scientists at the beginning of the last century, according to which in ancient times there was a continuous fortification line in Eurasia that divided the continent in half. To the north of it lived nomadic tribes, and to the south - farmers. Settled peoples suffered from attacks by nomads and built defensive walls to protect their lands. Historians have mapped all the fortifications that existed at different times on the Eurasian continent, and were amazed. Abkhazian, Transcaucasian, Crimean, Derbent, Balkan walls, Roman ramparts, and other ancient fortifications, many of which have not survived to this day, formed an inextricable chain in the distant past. And although the stated theory is not recognized by official historical science, it makes us seriously think about the past of mankind.

Internal division:

4th millennium BC e.

Former name:

Bab al-Abwab

climate type:

subtropical climate

Population:

112,466 people (2010)

Population:

1607 people/km²

National composition:

Lezgins, Azerbaijanis, Tabasarans, Dargins, Mountain Jews, Russians, Armenians

Confessional composition:

Islam, Christianity, Judaism

demonym:

Derbents, Derbentets, Derbentka

Timezone:

UTC+3, summer UTC+4

Telephone code:

Postcode:

Car code:

Official site:

Geographical position

City `s history

ancient period

Capital of the Derbent Emirate

From the Seljuks to the Safavids

Between Russia and Persia

Bab al-Abwab

Chronology

Coat of arms of Derbent

Description of the coat of arms

City population

Attractions

Notable natives

Derbensk athletes

twin cities

Derbent- a city in Dagestan on a narrow passage between the Caspian Sea and the foothills of the Caucasus. Derbent is the most Southern City Russian Federation. The city and the adjoining Derbent region are located in the zone of semi-dry subtropics.

Derbent is one of the oldest "living" cities in the world. The first settlements arose here in the Early Bronze Age - at the end of the 4th millennium BC. e.. The first mention of the Caspian Gates is the most ancient name Derbent - refers to the VI century. BC e., it is given by the famous ancient Greek geographer Hecateus of Miletus.

Geographical position

The city is located on west bank Caspian Sea, near the mouth of the Samuri Rubas River, where the mountains Greater Caucasus closest to the Caspian Sea, leaving only a narrow three-kilometer strip of plain; closing it, the city formed the so-called Derbent or Caspian passage. The role of Derbent and the Derbent passage was great, it was located in one of the most strategically important and topographically convenient places of the famous Caspian route linking Eastern Europe and Asia Minor.

City `s history

ancient period

Importance This passage was the reason for the aggressive aspirations of the Scythians, Sarmatians, Alans, Huns, Khazars and others. It survived turbulent historical events, assaults and destruction, periods of decline and prosperity. One of the most important sections of the Great Silk Road ran here, and Derbent acted as a crossroads of civilization, linking East and West, North and South.

The ancient Greek historian Herodotus was one of the first to provide information about the "Derbent Passage" in the 5th century BC. e. The Roman Empire also showed great interest in the city, the first expedition of which was organized under Seleucus I in 290-281 BC. e. In 66-65 BC. e. military campaigns of Lucullus and Pompey to the Caucasus are carried out, one of the main goals of which was the capture of Derbent.

Byzantium and Sasanian Iran became the successors of Rome and Parthia in the struggle for the Caucasus in the early Middle Ages.

An important fact in the history of Derbent, which was part of Caucasian Albania under the name Chola, was the adoption of Christianity in 313. From the 5th century, the active development of the city began, as well as the grandiose fortification construction, designed to protect Western Asia from new wave nomads - the Turkic tribes of the Huns and Khazars. 439-457 - construction of fortifications by Yazdegerd I; in 488-531 Khosrov I Anushirvan replaced the mud-brick walls with masonry. The fortress begins to acquire the form that has survived to our time.

The growing power and wealth of Derbent could not but attract powerful neighbors. In 552, the Khazars attacked the city. The patriarchal throne, for the purpose of salvation, is transferred from the city of Chola (Derbent) to the city of Partav. According to Yu. D. Brutskus, some of the Jews during this period moved from Persia to Derbent.

Capital of the Derbent Emirate

During the collapse of the Caliphate, the inhabitants of Derbent in 869 proclaimed Hashim ibn Surak their emir, who became the founder of the Hashemid dynasty. During the reign of his son Muhammad I in 901, the Khazars, led by King K-sa ibn Buldzhan, attacked Derbent, but were repulsed. In 969, Emir Ahmad built a citadel and fortified himself in it.

From the Seljuks to the Safavids

In 1067-71 the city was captured by the Seljuk Turks. In XII, an independent principality was again formed in Derbent, which did not last long - until 1239, when Derbent, conquered by the Mongols, became part of the Golden Horde. The city is gradually falling into economic decline.

In 1395, through the Derbent passage, Tamerlane entered the Terek valley and inflicted a crushing defeat on the banks of the Golden Horde troops. In the same year, he handed over Derbent to Shirvanshah Ibrahim I, entrusting the protection of the Debent passage.

In the XVI-XVII centuries. Derbent is the scene of fierce wars between Ottoman Empire and the state of the Safavids, until in 1606, under the Persian Shah Abbas I, Derbent was not part of Persia.

Between Russia and Persia

At the beginning of the 18th century, when the threat of the Persian and Turkish-Ottoman conquest of the Caspian regions loomed, Peter I undertook the well-known Persian (Caspian) campaign. On August 5, 1722, the Russian army under the command of Admiral General Apraksin moved towards Derbent, and on August 15, a transport flotilla (21 ships) arrived at the city with artillery and provisions under the command of Captain Verden. On August 23, the Russian army occupied the city. On August 30, Peter I wrote to Admiral Kruys from Derbent:

On September 12, Russia concluded a peace treaty with Persia, according to which Russia received the city of Derbent with its adjacent regions.

At the beginning of the 18th century, when the threat of Iranian and Turkish conquest of the Caspian regions loomed, Peter I undertook the well-known Persian (Caspian) campaign (1722-1723). Derbent occupied a special place in the plans of Peter the Great. On August 23, 1722, Peter I arrived in Derbent with a large army. The population of the city, headed by the local naib Imam Kulibek and the Muslim clergy, solemnly welcomed the Russian emperor and presented him with two silver keys to the city gates and the book “Derbent Name”, which tells about the history of the city. Peter I paid special attention to its historical monuments. Scientists and specialists who were in his retinue: Kantemir, Gerber, Soimonov gave the first description of historical monuments, laid the foundation for the study of Derbent.

Measures were taken to protect and improve the city, it was ordered to build a harbor according to the drawing, food warehouses, infirmaries, trading posts of Russian merchants were opened. Peter I granted the people of Derbent the right to free trade within Russia, planned the development of viticulture, winemaking, and sericulture here. But a storm began that blew 30 cargo ships. There was not enough food, and it was not possible to get bread in the lands of Shirvan and Mushkyur covered by uprisings. An epizootic began - 1,700 horses died in one night. As a result, the military council decided to suspend the advance to the south, and Peter I turned back, leaving a small garrison in the city. In 1735, according to the Ganja Treaty, Derbent again went to Iran. In 1747 the city became the center of the Derbent Khanate, the residence of Nadir Shah. from 1758 - the reign of Fet Ali Khan.

In the spring of 1795, Persian troops led by Agha Mohammed, the founder of the Qajar dynasty, invaded Kakheti, and on September 12 captured and plundered Tbilisi. Fulfilling its obligations under the Treaty of St. George in 1783, the Russian government sent the Caspian Corps (about 13 thousand people) from Kizlyar through Dagestan to Persia.

On May 2, 1796, the Commander-in-Chief, Lieutenant-General Count Valerian Alexandrovich Zubov, approached Derbent, starting to storm the city. On May 10, a white flag was thrown out on the fortress wall, and after that, Khan Sheikh Ali Khan also appeared in the Russian camp. On the same day, Major General Savelyev was appointed commandant of the Derbent fortress, and on May 13, Commander-in-Chief Zubov solemnly entered the city. Sheikh Ali Khan remained an honorary prisoner in the Russian camp until he escaped. Zubov restored calm in Derbent, and handed over the khanate to the uncle of the khan, Kassim. With the accession to the Russian throne of Paul I and a change in course foreign policy, in December of the same year, Russian troops from Transcaucasia were withdrawn, and all the conquered regions were returned. In 1799, the youngest son of the Cuban Khan Fatali Khan, Gasan, was proclaimed Khan of Derbent. Gathering a strong army, Sheikh Ali Khan moved to Derbent, but the twelve-day siege of the city did not bring him success and he was forced to make peace with Hasan Khan and recognize his rights to Derbent. After the death of the Derbent Khan in 1802, Sheikh Ali Khan annexed the Derbent possession to the Quba Khanate.

In 1813, according to the Gulistan peace treaty, it was annexed to Russia, since 1846 - a provincial city, was part of the Dagestan region. Since the 1840s experienced a rapid economic recovery, associated, in particular, with the development of madder growing (growing madder - a plant from which a cheap dye was obtained). In addition to the cultivation and processing of madder and poppy, the occupations of the inhabitants of Derbent in the 19th century. were horticulture, viticulture and fishing. In 1898, the Petrovsk-Port (former name of Makhachkala) - Baku railway passed through Derbent.

Climate

Continental, transitional from temperate to subtropical.

Average annual temperature in Derbent it is positive: +12.5 °C, average monthly temperature in January +3.1 °C (minimum −35 °C), average monthly temperature in July +23.3 °C (maximum +44 °C). The duration of the warm period is 270 days. Precipitation averages 800 mm per year; the rainiest month is October.

• The average annual air temperature is 12.5 °C
• Relative humidity - 69.5%
• average speed wind - 6.0 m/s

Bab al-Abwab

Bab al-Abwab- is often given in an abbreviated form as al-Bab, the Arabic name for the city of Derbent.

Literally Bab-al-Abwab (al-Bab) meant the Main (Great) Gate, the Gate of the gate. It was named so because of the role that Derbent played in the geopolitics of the early Middle Ages, being the most important strategic point on the trade routes from Europe to Asia.

Derbent was renamed Bab-al-Abwab (al-Bab) after the Arab conquest at the beginning of the 8th century. Appeared under this name in the Arabic historical and geographical literature. For some time it also became widespread in Iranian and Turkic-language literature. After the fall of the Arab Caliphate and the formation independent states in the region, the city began to be called in the old way, Derbent.

Chronology

• Approximately from the 5th-4th centuries. BC e. on the site of Derbent there was a nomadic camp of the Massaget tribes.
• Approximately in the 2nd century. BC e. on the site of the parking lot, a city was built, known in ancient and medieval sources as Chola.
• From the end of the 1st c. BC e. Chola is the capital of the tribal union of the Maskuts (Massagets), often referred to in historical sources as the Kingdom of Maskut.
• From the 1st century n. e. Chola, like the entire kingdom of Maskuts, is in vassal dependence on the kings of Caucasian Albania.
• In the 6th c. n. e. Sassanian Shah Kavad, subordinating the Muskuts to the power of the Sassanids, began the restructuring and strengthening of Chola.
• In the 6th c. n. e. Sassanid Shah Khosrov Anushirvan, completely completed the reconstruction of the Chola fortress, at the same time changing its name to Derbent. The fortress guarded the passage between Caucasus mountains(Tabasaran Range) and the Caspian Sea, located on the way between Europe and Asia Minor, which is reflected in the name: the Iranian "derbend" means "road junction".
• Some of the Jews during this period moved from Persia to Derbent. The beginning of the formation of a community of Jews, the first monotheists in the region.
• In the 630s. Derbent was captured by the Khazars.
• Under the Grand Duke of Caucasian Albania, Javanshir, Derbent, like the entire region of Maskut, was annexed to Caucasian Albania.
• From 652 Derbent was part of the Arab Caliphate. Mosques were built in the city, 24 thousand Syrians were resettled here, the city was divided into mahals (quarters), most of the inhabitants converted to Islam.
• 730 - the adoption of Judaism by the Khazars (presumably under the influence of the Jews of Derbent).
• In the 8th century Derbent is a large military-political center of the Caucasus, in which the residence of the governor of the caliph was located. In the 10th century, with the collapse of the Arab Caliphate, Derbent became the center of an independent emirate.
• From the 9th century Derbent under the influence of the state of the Shirvanshahs.
• In 1071 the city was captured by the Seljuk Turks.
• From the 12th century Derbent was part of the State of the Shirvanshahs, which was in vassal dependence on the State of the Great Atabeks of Azerbaijan.
• In the XIII century. Derbent, like the entire state of the Shirvanshahs, was conquered by the Mongols.
• In the XVI - early XVIII centuries. Derbent is part of Safavid Iran.
• August 23 - September 6, 1722 - Peter I in Derbent.
• Since 1743, the center of the Derbent Khanate of the Safavid and Afsharov states, the residence of Nadir Shah.
• In the XVIII century. With the death of Nadir Shah Afshar, the Khan of Derbent proclaimed his independence.
• In the XVIII century. Derbent with the khanate was annexed by Fatali Khan of Quba to the Quba Khanate.
• In 1796 it was conquered by Russian troops.
• in 1813 annexed to the Russian Empire.
• Since 1840 Derbent has been a district town, since 1846 a township.
• Since the 1840s experienced a rapid economic upsurge, associated, in particular, with the cultivation of madder - a plant from which a cheap dye was obtained. In the 19th century horticulture, viticulture and fisheries were also developed.
• In 1898, the Petrovsk-Port (now Makhachkala) - Baku railway passed through Derbent.

Coat of arms of Derbent

The emblem of the Derbent district was approved on March 21, 1843, along with other emblems of the Caspian region of the Russian Empire, to which the city then belonged. Later, this coat of arms became the coat of arms of the city of Derbent without changes.

The flag of the city has not yet been approved.

Description of the coat of arms

In the upper half of the shield, which has a golden field, a part of the coat of arms of the Caspian region is repeated: on the left is a standing tiger, and on the right is an ignited gas flying out of the ground in jets; in the lower one, which has a silver field: on the left - an old fortress wall with gates, resting on one side against the ridge of mountains, and on the other adjoining the sea, on the right - intertwined roots of a madder plant and several poppy stalks tied with a golden rope, as a sign that the inhabitants are very successful in processing madder and cultivating poppies for the preparation of medicinal opium (shiryak) from it. The cultivation of madder, a source of valuable dye, was presented to the world by a resident of Derbent, Kelbalai Hussein.

City population

According to the Russian historian S. M. Bronevsky,

According to the Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron:

According to the 1897 census, 14,649 people lived in the city. (of which the Azerbaijanis, called at that time Aderbeijan Tatars - 9,767 people, Jews - 2,181 people, Russians - 1,092 people).

The population of the city at the moment is about 130 thousand [30% Lezgins, 25% Tabasarans, 24% Azeri. 5% Dargins] people, the increase is mostly natural (+5 per 1000 population per year), although the fastest population growth occurred in the 1950s-1980s.

National composition according to the 2002 census

Lezgins - 30,955 - 30.62%;

Tabasarans - 29,606 - 25.45%;

Aguly - 2,956 - 2.93%;

Rutuli - 715 - 0.71%.

• Azerbaijanis - 29,064 - 24.74%;
• Dargins - 5,582 - 5.53%;
• Russians - 5,073 - 4.02%;
• Jews - 2038 - 2.02%;
• Taty - 2038 - 2.02%;
• Armenians - 1,534 - 1.52%;
• Kumyks - 552 - 0.55%;
• Avars - 442 - 0.44%;
• Laks - 436 - 0.43%.

Attractions

A monumental witness of the era of the Great Migration of Nations and an outstanding monument of defensive architecture, the Derbensky fortress complex performed defensive functions for 1500 years. It includes the fortress of Naryn-kala, where two long city walls lead, which completely blocked the passage and went into the sea, forming a port. In 2003, UNESCO recognized world heritage humanity the old part of Derbent with traditional buildings, highlighting the following monuments:

• Derbent wall- a double wall of the Sassanid times, blocking the Caspian Gates. The wall was used for defensive purposes by the Persians, Arabs and Mongols (Ilkhans, Timurids) for 15 centuries. It is the only surviving monument of ancient Persian fortification architecture.
• Naryn-Kala — ancient fortress with an area of ​​4.5 hectares, which towers over Derbent from the mountain. Inside, baths, water tanks in case of a siege, and ruined buildings, which can be assumed to be of great antiquity, have been preserved. Among them is the cross-domed church of the 5th century, later rebuilt as a temple of fire worshipers and a mosque. The Shah's palace has survived to our time in ruins.
• Juma Mosque is the oldest mosque in Russia. This is a temple intercepted by the Arab invaders and converted into a mosque. The temple was created long before the appearance of the Arabs in Derbent. Therefore, this mosque has an entrance from the south, and not from the north, as mosques should have. This was first written by Amri Shikhsaidov in the book "Dagestan shrines". In front of the mosque is a madrasah of the 15th century.

The value of the city for the Republic of Dagestan and the Russian Federation

Derbent is the oldest Cultural Center Dagestan, the furnace of his spiritual and material culture from where art, artistic craft, writing, the values ​​of Islam and other world religions spread. Combination unique monuments history, architecture and archeology with the splendor of natural landscapes and favorable climate make the whole region a major center of national and international tourism.

Notable natives

• Al-Lakzi Mammus (approximately 1040-1110) - an influential sheikh Bab al-abvaba (Derbent), author of the chronicle "History of Derbent and Shirvan", was born into a family of immigrants from the country of Lezgins - Lakz.
• Abramov, Shetiel Semenovich - (November 11, 1918 - May 14, 2004) - Hero of the Soviet Union (1945), lieutenant colonel (1995).
• Alekberli Mammad-Kasir Alekberovich - Head of the Department of General History of DSU.
• Aliyev, Shamsulla Feyzulla oglu - Hero of the Soviet Union.
• Gaidarov, Naum Kasyanovich - Major General, participant in the Caucasian War and Central Asian campaigns.
• Gasanov, Genrikh Alievich (born May 1, 1900) - Rear Admiral, Doctor of Technical Sciences, chief designer of ship steam boilers and steam generators, nuclear reactor engines for sea ships, Hero of Socialist Labor (1970). Lenin Prize (1958), State Prize of the USSR (1942).
• Hasanov, Gottfried Alievich - composer, founder of Dagestan professional musical creativity, Honored Artist of the Dagestan ASSR (1943), Honored Artist of the RSFSR (1960). Author of the first Dagestan works of musical and theatrical genres (opera, ballet, musical comedy). The Makhachkala School of Music is named after Gottfried Gasanov.
• Gut, Fortunat Ferdinandovich (October 6, 1861 - after 1935) - famous Siberian builder and architect
• Jasmine, nee Sara Manakhimova - singer, Honored Artist of the Republic of Dagestan.
• Zeynalli, Asef Zeynalabdin oglu is the first Azerbaijani composer who received professional education within the walls of the Azerbaijan State Conservatory.
• Kazembek Mirza is a prominent linguist and orientalist, three times awarded the Demidov Prize, a member of the Society of the Royal British and Irish in London, the Society of the Royal Northern Antiquarians in Copenhagen, etc. In 1869 he was elected an honorary doctor of St. Petersburg University.
• Kaziakhmedov, Felix Gadzhiakhmedovich - head of the administration of the city of Derbent since August 2000, for services to the republic in 1999 he was awarded the honorary title "Honored Economist of the Republic of Dagestan", chairman of the Dagestan branch of UNESCO.
• Rasulbekov, Huseyn Dzhumshudovich - lieutenant general of artillery, commander of the anti-aircraft missile forces of the Baku Air Defense District; Minister of Communications of the Azerbaijan SSR.
• Suleiman Kerimov (born March 12, 1966) is an entrepreneur, a member of the Federation Council from Dagestan. Controls the financial and industrial group "Nafta-Moscow".
• Mammadova, Shafiga Hashim kyzy - theater and film actress, People's Artist of the Azerbaijan SSR.
• Sadikhov Nejmeddin Huseyn oglu - lieutenant general, chief of the General Staff of the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Azerbaijan.
• Shikhsaidov, Amri Rzaevich (born in 1928) - one of the founders of the modern Dagestan school of Arabic studies, Honored Scientist of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Dagestan, laureate of the Prize of the Government of the Russian Federation.
• Eldarov, Omar Gasan oglu - sculptor-monumentalist, People's Artist of Azerbaijan, full member of the Russian Academy of Arts, President of the Azerbaijan State Academy of Arts.
• Yusufov, Igor Khanukovich - Ambassador at Large of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, former Minister of Energy of the Russian Federation.
• Rahimova Duriya Gulbaba-kyzy - actress of Azerbaijan state theater. People's Artist of the Republic of Dagestan

Derbensk athletes

• Erzi Babayeva(arm wrestling) - Champion of Russia among students (2009). Team captain of the Derbent Medical School. The champion is coached by Javid Mirzakuliev.

• Agamirza Alimirzoev(draughts) - Bronze medalist of the Russian Championship among the visually impaired, Silver medalist of the Championship of the Republic of Dagestan in Russian drafts (2009), Winner of the Cup of Dagestan in Russian drafts (2010), Bronze medalist of the championship of the Republic of South Ossetia in blitz (2010). Candidate Master of Sports of Russia.

A city that breathes history at every step. It is the southernmost and most ancient city Russia. Most recently, it celebrated its 2000th anniversary, but the first mention dates back to the 5th century BC, which is more than 5000 years. It has not yet been spoiled by tourists and a remake and breathes history.
So Lenin points out - the Sea is there)

The first mention of the "Caspian Gates" - the most ancient name of Derbent - dates back to the 4th century BC. BC, it is given by the famous ancient Greek author Hecateus of Miletus (IV century BC). The city is located on the western coast of the Caspian Sea, not far from the mouth of the Samur River, where the mountains of the Greater Caucasus come closest to the Caspian Sea, leaving only a narrow three-kilometer strip of plain, closing it, the city formed the so-called Derbent or Caspian passage. The role of Derbent and the Derbent passage was great, it was located in one of the most strategically important and topographically convenient places of the famous Caspian route linking Eastern Europe and Asia Minor. The importance of this passage was the reason for the aggressive aspirations of the Scythians, Sarmatians, Allans, Huns, Khazars, etc. It survived turbulent historical events, assaults and resolutions, periods of decline and prosperity. One of the most important sections of the Great Silk Road ran here, and Derbent acted as a “crossroads of civilization”, linking East and West, North and South.

But the main attraction of the Derbent fortress Naryn-Kala

The fortress in the vicinity of Derbent was built to protect the peoples who inhabited Asia Minor and Transcaucasia from the destructive invasions of northern nomads. It is a massive defensive complex, which included city, sea, mountain walls and Naryn-Kala (citadel). Ancient buildings were erected during the reign of the Sassanid dynasty. In their power, they were not inferior to the Great Wall of China.

This is what she looks like in pictures.

Naryn-Kala stretches along the city for 700 m. The thickness of its walls in some places reaches 3.5 m, and the height is 20 m. The citadel rises on top of a 300-meter steep hill. Steep slopes reliably protected it from the invasion of enemies from the east and north. The southern part of the fortification is equipped with steps, and on its wide walls there are platforms used today by tourists to view the panorama of the city and the Caspian Sea.

Inside the citadel you can see the ancient khan's baths with windows in the roofs and buildings that have come down to our time

Inside the fortress

through the loopholes the whole territory is visible

water was supplied to the fortress through ceramic pipes from mountain springs.

Derbent was also a harbor, in the photo there are ancient anchors

narrow streets of old Derbent

Surprisingly, there are wonderful people here, very funny and not scary)

Juma Mosque is the oldest mosque in Russia. It is located in the center of the old part of the city of Derbent.

Throughout its centuries of history Juma Mosque was rebuilt several times. Above the entrance, for example, there is an inscription stating that in 1368-1369. it was restored after the earthquake by Tajutdin from Baku.

The famous plane trees in the courtyard of the Juma mosque. Age - more than 800 years. According to legend, plane trees in the courtyard of the Juma mosque were planted in the 9th century by the great scientist and imam of the Sharia and the tariqa Abul-Qasim al-Junayd al-Baghdadi, who were to play one of the main roles in preserving the mosque from natural disasters. Plane trees have saved the mosque from destruction for centuries. Trees draw all the moisture out of the ground. Therefore, the mosque is always dry.

The Juma Mosque of Derbent is rightfully considered one of the main points of reference for the spread of Islam in Russia. It is located in the center of the old part of the city and is represented by a complex of interesting architectural ensembles, which includes a mosque, madrasah and living quarters for imams.

local flavor

The Derbent wall is a double wall from the Sassanid times, blocking the Caspian Gates in Derbent. The toponym "Derbent" means "narrow gates", and the wall blocks these gates from the sea coast to the Naryn-kala fortress. The wall was used for defensive purposes by the Persians, Arabs and Mongols for 15 centuries.

The length of the wall is 3600 meters. The southern and northern walls run parallel to each other at a distance of 300-400 meters. mountain part walls (Dag-bars) go 40 km towards the Caucasus Range; this is no time grand building survived only in fragments. The sea part of the wall extends 500 meters into the sea, blocking the entrance to the harbor. The most ancient part of the city is enclosed between these two walls. The south wall, like the later one, was largely demolished in the 19th century, while the north wall largely retains its original appearance.

Lezgi theater, located almost in the center of the city. Local pop stars often perform here and interesting plays are staged in Lezgi and Russian.

And here is the Caspian Sea, shells here you can get a full suitcase)

The streets are mostly narrow, houses are located close to each other

But it is more interesting to just walk around the market and the surrounding streets. this is where the local color is preserved

Everything is here. Warm sea with sandy beaches, high mountains, city with ancient history plus local flavor. If you build hotels and logistics, then Turkey will not be needed

Especially the issue of attacks by nomadic tribes became more acute during the period of the Great Migration of Peoples (4-7 centuries AD). Therefore, it is not surprising that it was from the 5th century that grandiose fortification construction began in Derbent, designed to protect Western Asia from a new wave of nomads - the Turkic tribes of the Huns and Khazars. In his modern form The defensive complex of Derbent was built in the 6th century. AD, during the period of the greatest prosperity of the Iranian Sassanid dynasty.

The construction of the Derbent complex was carried out in stages: first the citadel and the northern wall of the city, then the southern wall, and later the Mountain Wall (Dag-Bary).

Plan of modern Derbent

In the VI century, the first transverse wall was erected, separating the settled part of Derbent near the citadel from the uninhabited seaside (two other transverse walls appeared in the X-XVIII centuries).

An engraving from the 19th century. You can clearly see the transverse walls that have not survived today.


Engraving by Fiedler. 1836 Source: http://samoe-samaya.ru/goroda-i-strany/samyj-staryj-gorod-rossii.html

The fortress became a stronghold of the Sassanids in the Caucasus, the residence of Iranian governors - marzpans, guardians of the borders, the seat of his court and garrison, an administrative, military-political and cultural center.

With the conquest of Derbent by the Arabs (in 652), the city turns into the main stronghold of the Arab Caliphate in the Caucasus, into the most important military, political and ideological center; there is significant construction work going on. Derbent becomes the largest medieval city Caucasus.

Medieval Derbent is largest port in the Caspian Sea, the most important center of international transit trade of East and West, North and South. Derbent maintained close trade relations with many regions and cities of the Near and Middle East, of Eastern Europe. Trade caravans and ships arrived here from Khazaria, Rus', Volga Bulgaria, Khorasan, Khorezm, India, etc.

In 1239, Derbent, conquered by the Mongols, became part of the Golden Horde. The Mongols ravaged the entire district of Derbent, the city gradually begins to decline. Much more followed - Tamerlane's passage through the Caspian Gates at the mouth of the Terek, where he defeated the Golden Horde troops, the struggle for Derbent between the Ottoman Empire and Iran, and then between the Ottoman Empire and Russia, and, finally, joining Russia in 1813.

But let's get back to medieval Derbent and its main architectural monument - the defensive complex of the city. It can be conditionally divided into three parts: the Sea Walls, the Naryn-kala citadel and the Mountain Wall (Dag-bars). Each fortification could function independently, and at the same time they are parts of a single defensive system.

sea ​​walls

The northern fortress wall stretches about three kilometers from the Naryn-Kala citadel to the Caspian Sea from west to east. It has been preserved almost completely to the present day. The wall is equipped with 43 rectangular and semicircular towers, which are located about 60-70 meters apart.

View of the eastern gate of the citadel from the side of the city. On the right you can clearly see the preserved northern wall.

To climb from the inside, the wall had stone stairs.

The wall of the citadel and the stone staircase adjoining it.

The wall was built in the 6th century. from large hewn stones, its height is 7-8m, width - from 2.5 to 3.5m. To go outside the fortress, three gates were made in the northern wall.

The southern fortress wall stretches, like the northern one, from the Naryn-Kala citadel to the Caspian Sea. The distance between them is approximately 300-350m. The south wall, like the later one, was largely demolished in the 19th century, while the north wall largely retains its original appearance. The eastern part of the southern wall, about 1.5 km long, has been preserved.

View of the south wall and the citadel from the city

Unlike the northern wall, the southern one did not play a big role in protecting the city, therefore it had fewer towers and more gates (four).

The citadel and the south wall adjoining it.

The first authors who described Derbent saw that the city walls go far into the sea. At present, that part of the walls that went into the sea is completely destroyed, and therefore their length, configuration and material from which they were made can only be judged by conflicting, and sometimes mutually exclusive reports of ancient authors.

All Derbent until the end of the 19th century. was within the sea walls.

Derbent in the 70s 19th century from a lithograph from the 1870s.

Construction features.
The lower parts of the wall are made of unbaked bricks, but its main volume, dating from the 6th century, is lined with large blocks of hewn stone - local shell rock (100 by 65 by 25 cm). The wall between two rows of stone blocks is packed with broken stone; masons used lime mortar. For a strong connection of the facing blocks with the “body” of the wall, slabs laid with a poke (narrow side outward) and a spoon (wide side outward) alternated in the masonry.

The oldest masonry consists of slabs of the same type, but not strictly standard in shape: individual slabs were pressed to each other already in the process of construction. Such a construction of the walls, in addition to exceptional strength, betrayed monumental inviolability and splendor.

Later construction periods are easily distinguished by the small size of the blocks (on average 30 by 40 cm). In addition, later masonry is distinguished by more strict geometry and processing of blocks, the same height of rows and horizontal joints. During masonry, masons alternated blocks with “face” and “base”, which made the masonry more durable. Average Height walls - 12 meters, thickness varies from 230 to 380 cm.

The Naryn citadel - kala has preserved its fortress walls almost completely. At the same time, it was the walls of the citadel that underwent the most alterations, especially in later times (XVII-XIX centuries). For example, the walls of the citadel in many areas end with battlements made in the 19th century.

The photo clearly shows the Sasanian masonry (below) with traces of later repairs and battlements of the 19th century.


Attribution of clutch to alienordis (so not sure if it is correct, although it seems obvious). Photo source: http://www.nofollow.ru/photos_37470.htm

South wall gate

The gates of the southern wall (Kala-Kapy - Fortress Gates) are the uppermost gates in the city walls. The gate opening probably dates from the time the wall was built.

From the east, the gates are flanked by a semicircular tower of the 10th-11th centuries, which appeared during the period of the intensification of the struggle between Derbent and Shirvan. In 1920 the gate collapsed, and in their place for a long time there was an opening in the wall. In 1960 they have been restored.

semicircular defensive tower south gate(they are not visible from this angle).

The outer facade of Cala Capa is extremely simple - it is a rectangular opening with a wedge-shaped lintel in the fortress wall; such a gate is also shown on one of the drawings of the early 19th century.

Wedding at the gate of the southern wall.

More interesting is the inner facade of the gate, during the restoration of which, by analogy with earlier gates, the vaulted ceiling of the passage was given an lancet shape.

Interior facade of the south gate.

mountain walls
In the south-western corner of the fortress wall of the citadel there is a rectangular opening leading to the corner tower, through which there was once an entrance to the Mountain Wall (Dag-bars), starting just from this tower.

Mountain wall of Derbent. From a drawing of the 17th century.

Currently, only small sections of this wall have survived, but their study showed that it was a grandiose structure 3 meters thick and 10 meters high, with numerous fortified forts, half-forts and rectangular towers.

This powerful line of defense, meandering along a continuous mountainous terrain, went deep into the Caucasus for more than 40 kilometers.

Source: http://whc.unesco.org/uploads/nominations/1070.pdf

Citadel

The core of the defensive complex of Derbent was the Naryn-Kala Citadel. The hill on which the citadel is located has round slopes on the north side - towards the ravine, and on the east - towards the city. The southern and western slopes of the hill are more gentle.

The irregularly shaped fortress occupies an area of ​​4.5 hectares. Its walls (approximately 180 meters wide and 280 meters long) are fortified with small towers (at a distance of 20-30 meters from each other). In terms of plan, the citadel has the shape of an irregular polygon, all its ledges are deaf: two of them have internal stairs that climbed the walls.

Plan of the citadel

The degree of natural protection of one or another side also influenced the nature of the walls of the citadel. So, for example, the northern and northwestern parts of the wall, despite the fact that the enemy was mainly expected from this side, do not have powerful towers. Instead of them, small deaf ledges were made here, many of which were attached to the wall at a later time.

Western wall with rectangular towers.

On the east side, the natural defense of the fortress is a steep hill.

View of the city from the east side of the citadel.

The southern side of the citadel, where there are no natural barriers, is stronger than the northern one. The wall here is much higher (in some places reaches a height of 20 meters) and more powerful, with many protruding square forts, standing at a distance of 20-30 m from each other. All these towers have been repeatedly repaired and restored.

South wall of the citadel with battlements, 19th century

Due to the rather steep hill on which Naryn-kala is located, all four of its courtyards are located at different levels in the form of artificially leveled terraces with a system of retaining walls.

The photo clearly shows artificial terraces and retaining walls on both sides of the road.

The Naryn-Kala citadel, located on a high hill, dominated the narrow passage between the sea and the spurs of the Dzhalgan Range. Powerful walls with a thickness of 2.5-3.5 m, reaching a height of 20-25 m in some areas, as well as a system of reservoirs for large water reserves, make it impregnable fortress capable of withstanding a heavy and prolonged siege.

Gates

There are two gates leading to Naryn-kala: the eastern one is facing the city, the western one - the Mountain Gate - leads to the citadel, bypassing the city.

On the left - the eastern gate of the citadel, above which the khan's office is located.

East gate

The eastern gates of the Naryn-kala citadel (NARYN - KALA - KAPI) - its main gates - are arranged in a retaining wall and blocked lancet arches and foundation slabs of Fet-Ali-Khan's Chancellery.

East gate of the citadel.

The entrance to the citadel is made in the retaining wall, as the ground level difference inside and outside the eastern wall of the citadel reaches 5m. Behind the gate, in the thickness of the earth, an inclined passage more than 3 m wide is arranged, limited on the sides by retaining walls. In the 12th century a two-story building was erected above the gate and the passage, the walls of which rested on two powerful lancet arches thrown across the passage.

Entrance to the citadel.

A heavily damaged inscription has been preserved above the entrance opening, in which Shah Abbas I (1521 - 1629) is mentioned.

Western gate

The western gates of the citadel (Dag-Kapy) (10th century) were called mountain gates. They are flanked from the outside by two rectangular ledges, offset up to 8 meters, reinforced with inclined retaining walls, which form a narrow passage about 3 m wide in front of the rapids, well shot through from the flanking ledges of the gate. The opening of the mountain gates is blocked by a wedge-shaped lintel; from the inside, a passage blocked by a lancet vault leads to the opening.

Western gate of the citadel.

These gates, located on the western side of the citadel, served for the entry of pack vehicles into the territory of the citadel and for external relations city ​​rulers. Help to the besieged defenders could come through the mountain gates to the fortress under the cover of the Dagbara mountain wall. Therefore, these gates had another name - the Secret Gate.

View from the citadel to the western wall and mountains, where the Western Gate went (the arch of the gate itself is visible on the left, there is a blue plate on it).

The people also called this gate the “Gate of Shame”, since the rulers of the city, in a moment of danger for themselves, left through this gate, leaving the defenders alone against the enemy.

Water

An important place among the sights of the city is occupied by facilities for the storage and use of water, which for any fortified city was almost of paramount importance.

The water that came from the springs on the slope of Mount Dzhalgan was directed through numerous stone and ceramic conduits discovered during excavations to several underground reservoirs, including an old Christian church adapted for this purpose.

Water to this fountain is still supplied through ancient pipes.

small reservoir

One of the smallest reservoirs of Naryn-kala is located at the entrance to the citadel. It is square (2.65x2.65 m) and covered with a dome.

small reservoir

Rectangular reservoir.

In the north-eastern part of the Naryn-kala citadel there is a rectangular reservoir. Not found on the territory of the European part of Russia, this type of architectural structure is extremely widespread in hot arid regions.

Rectangular reservoir.

Such reservoirs were arranged to store large reserves of water in case of a siege of the city or a temporary delay in the flow of water. Scientists disagree about the timing of the construction of the reservoir. It may have been built in the 11th century.

Khan's Palace Complex

The palace in the Derbent citadel was built in 1768. Fet-Ali Khan, the strongest feudal ruler of the Eastern Caucasus. Under him, the Khan's palace turned into a residence, where outbuildings, administrative and bureaucratic apparatus, warriors, and clergymen were located.

Khan's palace complex.