Derbent is built around a Sassanid fortress, the only one preserved in the world. The fortress has been continuously used for some 1500 years.

Derbent (Russian: Дербе́нт; Avar: Дербенд; Azeri: Dərbənd; Persian: دربند, Darband) is a city in the Republic of Dagestan, Russia. It is the southernmost city in Russia, and it is the second most important city of Dagestan, with a population of 101,031 (2002 Census). The Azeris are the main ethnic group, followed by Lezgins and Tabasarans. Sassanian fortress at Derbent This work is copyrighted. ... Sassanian fortress at Derbent This work is copyrighted. ... Sassanid Empire at its greatest extent The Sassanid dynasty (also Sassanian) was the name given to the kings of Persia during the era of the second Persian Empire, from 224 until 651, when the last Sassanid shah, Yazdegerd III, lost a 14-year struggle to drive out the Umayyad Caliphate... This article is about the Avar Language, for information on the Avar people please see Caucasian Avars. ... The Azerbaijani language, also called Azeri, Azari, Azeri Turkish, or Azerbaijani Turkish, is the official language of Republic of Azerbaijan and the second language of the Islamic Republic of Iran. ... Persian is an Indo-European language spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Bahrain, Iraq, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, Southern Russia, neighboring countries, and elsewhere. ... The Republic of Dagestan (Russian: ), older spelling Daghestan, is a federal subject of the Russian Federation (a republic). ... For album titles with the same name, see 2002 (album). ... Russian Census of 2002 (Russian: ) was the first census of Russian Federation carried out on October 9, 2002. ... Azerbaijanis or Azerbaijani Turks, are a Muslim people who number more than 25 million worldwide. ... Flag of the Lezgian people The Lezgins, also called the Lezgin, Lezgi, Lezgis, Lezgs, and Lezgians are an ethnic group who live mainly in southern Dagestan and northern Azerbaijan who speak the Lezgi language. ... Tabasaran may refer to: Tabasaran language, Caucasus Tabasaran people, Caucasus Tabasaran district, Dagestan This is a disambiguation page: a list of articles associated with the same title. ...

Often identified with the legendary Gates of Alexander, Derbent claims to be the oldest city in the Russian Federation. Since antiquity the value of the area as the gate to the Caucasus has been understood and Derbent has archaeological structures over 5,000 years old. As a result of this geographic particularity the city developed between two walls, stretching from the mountains to the sea. Over the years different nations gave the city different names, but all connected to the word 'gate'. The Caspian Gates in Derbant, Russia are identified with the Gates of Alexander. ...

Geography

The city is built near the western shores of the Caspian Sea, south of the Rubas River, on the slopes of the Tabasaran mountains (part of the Bigger Caucasus range). Derbent is well served by transportation, with its own harbour, a railway going south to Baku, and the Baku to Rostov-on-Don road. Caspian Sea viewed from orbit The Caspian Sea is a landlocked endorheic sea of Eurasia between Asia and Europe. ... The Caucasus Mountains are a mountain system between the Black and Caspian seas in the Caucasus region, usually considered the southeastern limit of Europe. ... Satellite view of Baku The Baku harbour on the south of Absheron peninsula The Maiden Tower in old town Baku Baku (Azerbaijani: Bakı), sometimes known as Baky or Baki, is the capital of Azerbaijan. ... Central market and Church in Rostov. ...

Derbent has a unique strategic location in the Caucasus: the city is situated on a thin strip of land (three kilometres) between the Caspian Sea and the Caucasus mountains, controlling land traffic between south-eastern Europe and the Middle East. World map showing Europe Political map Europe is one of the seven continents of Earth which, in this case, is more a cultural and political distinction than a physiographic one, leading to various perspectives about Europes borders. ... A map showing countries commonly considered to be part of the Middle East The Middle East is a region comprising the lands around the southern and eastern parts of the Mediterranean Sea, a territory that extends from the eastern Mediterranean Sea to the Persian Gulf. ...

To the north of the town is the monument of the Kirk-lar, or forty heroes, who fell defending Dagestan against the Arabs in 728. To the south lies the seaward extremity of the Caucasian wall (fifty metres long), otherwise known as Alexander's Wall, blocking the narrow pass of the Iron Gate or Caspian Gates (Portae Athanae or Portae Caspiae). This, when entire, had a height of 29 ft (9 m) and a thickness of about 10 ft (3 m), and with its iron gates and numerous watch-towers formed a valuable defence of the Persian frontier. Events Births Deaths The Danish king Angantyr on Samsoe Categories: 728 ... The Caspian Gates in Derbant, Russia are identified with the Gates of Alexander. ... The Caspian Gates in Derbant, Russia are identified with the Gates of Alexander. ...

History

View of the city from Naryn-Kala, 1910s

The first intensive settlement in the Derbent area dates from the 8th century BCE. Until the 4th century CE it was part of Caucasian Albania, and is usually identified with Albana, the capital. The modern name, a Persian word (دربند Darband) meaning "closed gates", came into use in the end of the 5th or the beginning of the 6th century, when the city was refounded by Kavadh I of the Sassanid dynasty of Persia. The walls and the citadel are believed to belong to the time of Kavadh's son, Khosrau I. Derbent became a strong military outpost and harbour of the Sassanid empire. During the 5th and 6th centuries Derbent becomes also an important centre for spreading the Christian faith in the Caucasus. Image File history File linksMetadata Derband. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Derband. ... (9th century BC - 8th century BC - 7th century BC - other centuries) (800s BC - 790s BC - 780s BC - 770s BC - 760s BC - 750s BC - 740s BC - 730s BC - 720s BC - 710s BC - 700s BC - other decades) (2nd millennium BC - 1st millennium BC - 1st millennium AD) Events Golden age in Armenia Assyria... As a means of recording the passage of time, the 4th century was that century which lasted from 301 to 400. ... Ancient countries of Caucasus: Armenia, Iberia, Colchis and Albania Caucasian Albania (or Aghbania) was an ancient kingdom that covered what is now southern Dagestan and most of todays Azerbaijan of the Caucasus. ... Europe in 450 The 5th century is the period from 401 - 500 in accordance with the Julian calendar in the Christian Era. ... This Buddhist stela from China, Northern Wei period, was built in the early 6th century. ... Kavadh I also known as Qobad I (449–531), son of Peroz I of Persia (457–484), was a Sassanid King from 488 to 531. ... Sassanid Empire at its greatest extent The Sassanid dynasty (also Sassanian) was the name given to the kings of Persia during the era of the second Persian Empire, from 224 until 651, when the last Sassanid shah, Yazdegerd III, lost a 14-year struggle to drive out the Umayyad Caliphate... The Persian Empire was a series of historical empires that ruled over the Iranian plateau. ... A coin of Khosrau I Khosrau I, (Most commonly known as Anooshiravan also spelled Anushirvan, Persian: انوشيروان meaning the immortal soul), also known as Anooshiravan the Just (انوشیروان عادل, Anooshiravan-e-ādel) (ruled 531–579), was the favourite son and successor of Kavadh I of Persia (488–531), and the most famous and... Christianity is a monotheistic[1] religion centered on Jesus of Nazareth, and on his life and teachings as presented in the New Testament. ...

During the 630s it was invaded by the Khazar khanate. In 654 Derbent was captured by the Arabs, who transformed it in an important administrative centre and introduced Islam to the area. The Caliph Harun al-Rashid spent time living in Derbent, and brought it into great repute as a seat of the arts and commerce. According to Arab historians, Derbent, with population exceeding 50,000, was the largest city of the 9th-century Caucasus. In the 10th century, with the collapse of the Arab Caliphate, Derbent became the capital of an emirate. This emirate often fought losing wars with the neighboring Christian state of Sarir, allowing Sarir to occasionally manipulate Derbent politics, however this ended with the disintegration of Sarir in the early 12th century. Overall, the emirate flourished until its invasion by the Mongols in 1239. Centuries: 6th century 7th century 8th century Decades: 580s - 590s - 600s - 610s - 620s - 630s - 640s - 650s - 660s - 670s - 680s Years: 630 631 632 633 634 635 636 637 638 639 640 Events: 630 - Serbs and Croats settle the Balkans in the provinces of Moesia, Pannonia and Dalmatia 632 - death of... The Khazars were a Turkic semi-nomadic people from Central Asia who adopted Judaism. ... Events King Reccaswinth issues Visigothic law code. ... For other uses, including people named Islam, see Islam (disambiguation). ... Persian miniature depicting Hārūn ar-Rashīd. ... As a means of recording the passage of time, the 10th century was that century which lasted from 901 to 1000. ... Sarir or Serir was a medieval Christian state in the mountainous regions of modern-day Dagestan. ... This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... // Events Births June 17 - King Edward I of England (died 1307) December 17 - Kujo Yoritsugu, Japanese shogun (died 1256) Peter III of Aragon (died 1285) John II, Duke of Brittany (died 1305) Ippen, Japanese monk (died 1289) Deaths March 3 - Vladimir III Rurikovich, Grand Prince of Kiev (born 1187) March...

In the 14th century it was occupied by the hordes of the Tatar warlord Timur. In 1437 it fell under the control of the Shirvanshahs. During the 16th century Derbent was the arena for wars between Turkey and Persia ruled by the Persian Safavid dynasty. By the early 17th century the Safavid Shah Abbas I inflicted a serious defeat on the Turks and recoverd Derbent. This 14th-century statue from south India depicts the gods Shiva (on the left) and Uma (on the right). ... Historically, the term Tatar (or Tartar) has been ambiguously used by Europeans to refer to many different peoples of Inner Asia and Northern Asia. ... Statue of Timur in Shahrisabz, Uzbekistan Timur (Chagatai: تیمور, iron, actually Timūr Gurkānī, Persian: تيمور گوركانى, Gurkān being the Persianized form of the original Mongolian word kürügän, son-in-law) — also known as Timur-e Lang, Persian: تیمور لنگ, which translates to Timur the Lame, as he was lame... // Events foundation of All Souls College, University of Oxford. ... (15th century - 16th century - 17th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 16th century was that century which lasted from 1501 to 1600. ... The Safavids were a long-lasting Turkic-speaking Iranian dynasty that ruled from 1501 to 1736 and first established Shiite Islam as Persias official religion. ... (16th century - 17th century - 18th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 17th century was that century which lasted from 1601-1700. ... Shah Abbas I of Safavid at a banquet Detail from a celing fresco; Chehel Sotoun palace; Isfahan Shah Abbas King of the Persians Copper engraving by Dominicus Custos, from his Atrium heroicum Caesarum pub. ...

By the 1735 Ganja treaty Derbent fell within the Persian state. In 1722 during the Russo-Persian War Peter the Great of Russia wrested the town from the Persians, but in 1736 the supremacy of Nadir Shah was again recognized. In 1747 Derbent became the capital of the khanate of the same name. During the Persian Expedition of 1796 it was stormed by Russian forces under Valerian Zubov. As a consequence of the Gulistan Treaty of 1813—between Russian and Persia—Derbent became part of the Russian Empire. Events April 16 - The London premiere of Alcina by George Frideric Handel, his first the first Italian opera for the Royal Opera House at Covent Garden. ... For other uses of this term see: Persia (disambiguation) The Persian Empire is the name used to refer to a number of historic dynasties that have ruled the country of Persia (Iran). ... // Events Abraham De Moivre states De Moivres theorem connecting trigonometric functions and complex numbers Publication of the first book of Bachs Well-Tempered Clavier Fall of Persias Safavid dynasty during a bloody revolt of the Afghani people. ... Eugene Lanceret. ... Portrait of Peter by Paul Delaroche Peter I (Russian: Пётр I Алексеевич or Pyotr I Alekseyevich) (Peter Alexeyevich Romanov) (9 June 1672–8 February 1725 [30 May 1672– 28 January 1725 O.S.] [1]) ruled Russia from 7 May (27 April O.S.) 1682 until his death. ... Events January 26 - Stanislaus I of Poland abdicates his throne. ... Nadir Shah’s portrait from the collection of Smithsonian Institute Nadir Shah (Persian: نادر شاه) (Nadir Qoli Beg (Persian: نادر قلی بیگ), also Tahmasp-Qoli Khan (Persian: تهماسپ قلی خان) also Nadir Shah Afshar (Persian: نادر شاه افشار) ) (October 22, 1688 - June 2, 1747) ruled as Shah of Iran (1736–47) and was the founder of the short-lived Afsharid dynasty. ... // Events January 31 - The first venereal diseases clinic opens at London Dock Hospital April 9 - The Scottish Jacobite Lord Lovat was beheaded by axe on Tower Hill, London, for high treason; he was the last man to be executed in this way in Britain May 14 - First battle of Cape... The Persian Expedition of Catherine the Great, alongside the Persian Expedition of Peter the Great, was one of the Russo-Persian Wars of the 18th century which did not entail any lasting consequences for both belligerents. ... Coat of arms of the Zubov family For other uses, see Zubov (disambiguation). ... Gulistan Treaty of 1813 (also written Golestan, Gulestan, and Golistan), was a peace treaty between imperial Russia and Persia, signed on October 24 (November 5) in a village of Gulestan in Karabakh at the end of the first Russo-Persian Wars (1804-1813). ... 1813 is a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... Official language Russian Official Religion Russian Orthodox Christianity Capital Saint Petersburg (Petrograd 1914-1925) Area Approx. ...

A large portion of the walls and several watchtowers have been preserved in reasonable shape till our days. The walls, reaching to the sea, date from the 6th century, Sassanid dynasty period. The city has a well preserved citadel (Narin-kala), comprising an area of 45,000 m², enclosed by strong walls. Historical attractions include the baths, the cisterns, the old cemeteries, the caravanserai, the 18th century Khan's mausoleum, as well as several mosques: the most interesting built from a 6th century Christian basilica is the Juma Mosque (with a 15th century madrassa); the 17th century Kyrhlyar mosque, the Bala mosque and the 18th century Chertebe mosque. The Sassanid Empire in the time of Shapur I; the conquest of Cappadocia was temporary Official language Pahlavi (Middle Persian) Dominant Religion Zoroastrianism Capital Ctesiphon Sovereigns Shahanshah of the Iran (Eranshahr) First Ruler Ardashir I Last Ruler Yazdegerd III Establishment 224 AD Dissolution 651 AD Part of the History of... (17th century - 18th century - 19th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 18th century refers to the century that lasted from 1701 through 1800. ... (14th century - 15th century - 16th century - other centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 15th century was that century which lasted from 1401 to 1500. ... (16th century - 17th century - 18th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 17th century was that century which lasted from 1601-1700. ... (17th century - 18th century - 19th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 18th century refers to the century that lasted from 1701 through 1800. ...

Economy and culture

The city is home to machine building, food (even a brewery and wineries!), textile, fishing and fishery supplies, construction materials and wood industries. The education infrastructure is quite good; there is a university as well as several technical schools. On the cultural front, there is a Lezgin drama theatre (S. Stalsky theatre). About two kilometres from the city is the vacation colony of Chayka (Seagull).

Derbent being in practice a huge museum and with magnificent mountains and shore nearby, a great potential for development of the tourism industry exists, further increased by UNESCO's classification of the Citadel, Ancient City and Fortress as a World Heritage Site in 2003; however, instability in the region has not allowed further development. UNESCO logo UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) is a specialized agency of the United Nations established in 1945. ... Site #86: Memphis and its Necropolis, including the Pyramids of Giza (Egypt). ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

References

• This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.
• Some text used with permission from www.travel-images.com. The original text can be found here.

Encyclopædia Britannica, the 11th edition The Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition (1910–1911) is perhaps the most famous edition of the Encyclopædia Britannica. ... The public domain comprises the body of all creative works and other knowledge—writing, artwork, music, science, inventions, and others—in which no person or organization has any proprietary interest. ...

External links

• Photographs
• Photographs

	Cities and towns in the Republic of Dagestan
	Capital: Makhachkala Buynaksk | Dagestanskiye Ogni | Derbent | Izberbash | Kaspiysk | Khasavyurt | Kizilyurt | Kizlyar This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... The Republic of Dagestan (Russian: ), older spelling Daghestan, is a federal subject of the Russian Federation (a republic). ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Russia. ... Makhachkala (Russian: ) is a city in Russia, the capital of the Republic of Dagestan. ... Buynaksk, known as Temir-Khan-Shura before 1922 (Russian: Буйнакск, Темир-Хан-Шура), is a town in Dagestan, Russia, located at the foothills of the Greater Caucasus on the Shura-Ozen River. ... Dagestanskiye Ogni is a town in Dagestan, Russia. ... Izberbash is a coastal town in Dagestan, Russia. ... Kaspiysk is a city in Dagestan, Russian Federation, on the coast of Caspian Sea. ... Khasavyurt (Russian: ) is a city in Dagestan, Russia. ... Kizlyar IE, ООО ПП Кизляр. Russian knife company. ...

World Heritage Sites in Russia

Central Sikhote-Alin | Curonian Spit (w/ Lithuania) | Ferapontov Monastery | Golden Mountains of Altai | Church of the Ascension, Kolomenskoye | Kazan Kremlin | Kizhi Pogost | Lake Baikal | Monuments of Derbent | Monuments of Novgorod | Moscow Kremlin and Red Square | Novodevichy Convent | St. Petersburg with Peterhof, Tsarskoye Selo, Pavlovsk, Gatchina, Strelna, Kronstadt, Oranienbaum, and Shlisselburg | Solovetsky Monastery | Struve Geodetic Arc (w/ nine other countries) | Trinity-Sergius Lavra | Uvs Nuur Basin (w/ Mongolia) | Virgin Komi Forests | Volcanoes of Kamchatka | Western Caucasus | White Monuments of Vladimir and Suzdal | Wrangel Island | Yaroslavl Image File history File links Flag_of_Russia. ... Elabana Falls is in Lamington National Park, part of the Central Eastern Rainforest Reserves World Heritage site in Queensland, Australia. ... Sikhote-Alin is the home to Amur tigers, the largest felines in the world. ... Curonian Spit map The Curonian Spit (Lit. ... Difficulty of access helped preserve the monastery intact since the 17th century The Ferapontov convent, in the Vologda region of Russia, is considered one of the purest examples of Russian medieval art, a reason given by UNESCO for its inscription in the World Heritage list. ... The Altai is a mountain range in central Asia, where Russia, China, Mongolia and Kazakhstan come together, and where the great rivers Irtysh, Ob and Yenisei have their sources. ... Kolomenskoye (Russian/Cyrillic: Коломенское) is a former royal estate situated several miles to the south-east of Moscow downtown, on the ancient road leading to the town of Kolomna (hence the name). ... View within the kremlin in the early 20th century. ... Wooden miracle in Kizhi. ... Lake Baikal The Yenisei River basin, Lake Baikal, and the cities of Dikson, Dudinka, Turukhansk, Krasnoyarsk, Irkutsk Lake Baikal is the largest (by volume), deepest and oldest freshwater lake in the world. ... Velikiy Novgorod (Russian: ) is the foremost historic city of North-Western Russia, situated on the M10(E95) federal highway connecting Moscow and St. ... The Moscow Kremlin The Moscow Kremlin (Russian: Московский Кремль) is the best known kremlin (Russian citadel). ... , For other uses, see Red Square (disambiguation). ... Novodevichy convent in summer Novodevichy Convent, also known as Bogoroditse-Smolensky Monastery (Новодевичий монастырь, Богородице-Смоленский монастырь in Russian) is probably the best-known cloister of Moscow. ... Saint Petersburg (Russian: Санкт-Петербу́рг, English transliteration: Sankt-Peterburg), colloquially known as Питер (transliterated Piter), formerly known as Leningrad (Ленингра́д, 1924–1991) and Petrograd (Петрогра́д, 1914–1924), is a city located in Northwestern Russia on the delta of the river Neva at the east end of the Gulf of Finland... Peterhof: the Samson Fountain and Sea Channel Peterhof (Russian: , Petergof, originally Piterhof, Dutch for Peters Court) is a series of palaces and gardens, laid out on the orders of Peter the Great, and sometimes called the Russian Versailles. It is located about twenty kilometers west and six kilometers south... Catherine Palace and Park Tsarskoye Selo (Russian: ; may be translated as Tsar’s Village) is a former Russian residence of the imperial family and visiting nobility 24 km south of St. ... Pavlovsk (Russian: Павловск) is a town situated in the Leningrad oblast, Russia, 30 km from St. ... Gatchina is the city of 84900 inhabitants in the Leningrad oblast of the Russian Federation, 45 km south of St Petersburg by the road leading to Pskov. ... The Constantine Palace in 1921 Strelna (Russian: Стрельна) is a historic village situated about halfway between Saint Petersburg and Peterhof and overlooking the shore of the Gulf of Finland. ... 1888 map of Kronstadt bay Kronstadt (Russian: ), or Kronshtadt, Cronstadt, is a strongly fortified Russian seaport town, located on Kotlin Island, near the head of the Gulf of Finland, at , . It lies thirty kilometers west of Saint Petersburg, of which it is the chief port. ... Oranienbaum (Russian: ) is a Russian royal residence, located on the Bay of Finland west of St. ... Shlisselburg (Russian: ) is a town in western Russia (Kirovsky District, Leningrad Oblast) located at the head of the Neva River on Lake Ladoga, 45 km east of Saint Petersburg, which lies at the mouth of the Neva on the Gulf of Finland. ... Solovetsky Monastery Solovetsky Monastery (Соловецкий монастырь in Russian), a monastery on the Solovetsky Islands in the White Sea. ... The Struve Geodetic Arc is a chain of survey triangulations stretching from Hammerfest in Norway to the Black Sea, through ten countries and over 2,820 km. ... View of the lavra in the 1890s. ... Satellite shot of the Uvs Nuur Basin. ... The Virgin Komi Forests is a natural UNESCO World Heritage site in the Northern Ural mountains of the Komi Republic, Russia. ... Kamchatka is the land of volcanoes. ... The last wild wisent in the world was killed by poachers here in 1927. ... The Church of the Intercession on the Nerl (1165). ... This article is about the Russian island. ... A public building in Yaroslavl Yaroslavl (Russian: ) is a city in Russia, the administrative center of Yaroslavl Oblast, located 250 km north-east of Moscow at . ...