The fortress of Naryn-Kala, Dagestan, Derbent. Description, excursion, history

The fortress of Naryn-Kala (Dagestan) is the visiting card of the city of Derbent. This citadel was included in UNESCO's honorary list as a historical and cultural monument of world significance. Until now, the walls, gates and towers of the defensive complex have been preserved. Inside the fortress there are water tanks and reservoirs, thermae, the cross-domed church and the Juma mosque. These last two churches are the oldest in the territory of the Russian Federation.

Scientists are still arguing about how old Naryn-Kale is. The earliest buildings of the fortress date back to the sixth century, and the latest to the fifteenth century. Let's take a virtual tour of this ancient defensive structure.

The fortress of Naryn-Kala: history

The city of Derbent itself is more than five thousand years old. It is believed that the citadel, called Naryn-Kala, that is, the Sun Fortress, began to build the Shah Qawad in the sixth century. His son, Khosrov the First Anushirvan, continued the work of his father and erected a fortress wall that blocked the passage between the Caucasus and the Caspian. It is believed that its length was forty kilometers. The wall went into the sea, thereby blocking the way to barbarians from the north in shallow water and providing the defenders of the citadel with a convenient port. But all these buildings belong to the pre-Arab period of the early Middle Ages. A modern archaeological survey revealed that in the territory of the fortress Naryn-Kala (Derbent), there was a more ancient settlement surrounded by a wall of bricks-raw. It dates from the reign of Yezdigerd II (438-457) and refers to the late Albanian-Sarmatian and Sassanian periods. But that's not all. Raw bricks were laid on a stone basement. Apparently, this masonry belongs to the defensive walls of Derbent, which existed five thousand years ago.

Where and why was Naryn-Kala built

In the early Middle Ages the Persian state was constantly subjected to raids by barbarian nomads from the steppes near the Volga delta. Therefore, it was decided to block the so-called Caspian Gates between the spurs of the Jalgan Ridge and the sea. Stable and reliable brickwork of thick and high walls was impregnable for weapons of those times. But even later the Naryn-Kala fortress withstood many sieges. After all, the defenders were helped by the terrain. On three sides, the slopes of the elevation on which the citadel stands are very steep.

Fort, unlike previous fortified complexes, was not a settlement. He stood at a distance from Derbent and was inhabited by guards guarding the narrow passage. But the fortress was also the residence of the marzpanov, the Iranian governors. So soon it became an important administrative, commercial and cultural center.

Powerful citadel

Until now, people are shocked by the defensive ability of the fortress. Its shape is dictated by the outlines of the relief. The fortress of Naryn-Kala is an irregular polygon delineated by walls three meters thick. Builders used for soldering lime mortar and stone blocks. The height of these walls is ten to twelve meters. On the perimeter there are towers - at a distance of about 20-30 m from each other. The area of the fortress is four and a half hectares. In the southwestern extremity of the stronghold is a square tower, which is a jumper with the wall of the Dag-bar, which closes the "Caspian Passage". One part went to the sea, and the other went to the mountains. At four levels of the fortress there are four courtyards. From the side of Derbent the citadel protected a very steep slope of the mountain. So the stronghold could only be taken with artillery. What happened in 1796, during the Russo-Persian War.

Internal construction of the fortress of Naryn-Kala

Protecting the northern borders of Persia, the citadel was prepared for a possible long siege. For the autonomous water supply system, underground channels leading from mountain springs to stone tanks inside the fortress were constructed. One of such tanks was ... the Christian church. This cross-domed building was erected in the fourth or fifth century. Later it was used as a temple of fire worshipers - Zoroastrians. When Islam was established on these lands, the construction was abandoned. It gradually went underground and began to be used as a reservoir for storing water. Paradoxically, thanks to this, the church has survived until our time. It is the most ancient Christian temple in the territory of Russia.

The medieval monuments of architecture include the Juma Mosque. It is also the oldest in Russia. Its erection dates back to the eighth century. But in the following centuries the building was rebuilt several times. In the fifteenth century, a madrassa was built in front of the mosque. He was in the citadel of Naryn-Kala (Derbent) and the Shah's palace. But he came to us in ruins.

New time buildings on the territory of Naryn-Kala

The fortress, and with it the city, did not lose its strategic importance and at the decline of the Middle Ages. The Derbent khans settled in the citadel. They turned the fortress of Naryn-Kala into its residence. The Shah's palace was abandoned, but in the citadel in the eighteenth century new khan's chambers were built (during the reign of Fet-Ali). In addition, the complex was replenished with administrative buildings. This zindan (prison cellars), sofa-khan (office). Here remains in the mausoleums of the remains of Derbent rulers.

Preserved and the khan's baths (XVI-XVII century). The Russian buildings of the nineteenth century include the guardhouse. Now in this building there is an art gallery of Derbent.

Archaeological excavations

In the twentieth century, historians began to work on the territory of the fortress in order to establish the true age of Naryn-Kala. Of course, the construction of the citadel and the construction of the defensive wall of the Dag-bars, which cover the Derbent passage, date back to the sixth century. But archaeological research has prolonged the age of the settlement for centuries. It turns out that even in the eighth century BC there was a fortified settlement. Stratigraphy of cultural layers indicates that it was going through a difficult history. The alternation of ash indicates that graying has experienced many fires. But the place on the top of the hill, on which the fortress of Naryn-Kala now stands, was never empty. Control over the passage between the Caspian and the Caucasus has always been important in military and commercial relations. The settlement steadily grew and developed up to Sasanid penetration.

Open-air museum

In 1989, the State Historical and Architectural Reserve was established. It includes the old districts of the city of Derbent and the museum complex "Naryn-Kala Citadel". The protection zone covers 2044 hectares. On such a vast territory, there are about two hundred and fifty cultural and historical monuments. These are public and residential buildings, Christian and Muslim temples, archeological artifacts, extracted excavations. But not only the citadel is interesting to the tourist. It is worth going to the Old Town. Derbent, whose name in Persian translates as "The Locked Gate", has always been inextricably linked with its fortress. In 2003, the UNESCO Committee included the entire historical and architectural complex on the World Heritage List of Humanity. And in 2013, according to the results of the voting among Russian citizens, the fortress of Derbent took the fifteenth place among the most famous and iconic sights of our country.

Naryn-Kala: excursion

What do you need to see a tourist who visited the citadel on his own? A fragment of the eighteenth-century khan's palace was opened for review. It will also be interesting to look at the baths. This semi-basement structure is divided into two large halls. They are adjacent to several small rooms with a vaulted roof. It is worth visiting and underground zindan prison. This building is eleven meters deep and has the shape of a pitcher. The inclined walls did not give the prisoners any opportunity to climb up. The most beautiful of all the gates of the fortress are Orta-Kala in the southern wall. You should also familiarize yourself with the water supply system of the citadel. Stone and ceramic pipes were preserved. And in the Derbent itself, the inhabitants are still taking water from the fountains of Khayybulah and Dhiarchi-bulah, which comes from mountain springs in the old aqueduct. And of course, you can not leave the citadel without visiting the Juma mosque and the ancient Christian temple.