City Of The Caucasus - Derbent!

Today Derbent is one of the oldest existing cities of our country. With the Persian name of the city means "closed gates" Azerbaijan "iron gate".
Derbent is the southernmost city in Russia, located in the Republic of Dagestan. Took it is quite a narrow passage between the foothills of the Caucasus and the Caspian sea warm.
Historians claim that the first settlements here emerged in the late 5th Millennium BC for the First time, mentions the Caspian gates (now Derbent) Hecate geographer of Miletus (6th century BC). As for modern Derbent, was founded as a Persian fortress.
It included the citadel, which was located on a hill (Naryn-Kala) and two stone walls that ran from it to the sea. They were closed at that time, the 3-mile pass and protected the city from two sides - North and South.
Derbent stood at that time on the Caspian route, linking Eastern Europe and Asia between themselves. Then he played a very important role as a fortress, strong and reliable, as always on these roads were the enemy troops who planned to attack a neighboring state.
Tourists wishing to get acquainted with the ancient city, are often surprised that in one place mixed so many styles. It is connected directly with a long history of the area.
When the city was under the rule of the Caliphate (652), actively it rebuilt, as you know, mosques and Oriental buildings. Many inhabitants then accepted Islam. In those years, moved to the city more than two dozen thousand Syrians.
Later, in the fifth century BC, the city moved the Jews in large numbers. Of course, at least in part, but building and then transformed.

photo from islam-afisha.ru

The Eastern buildings began to appear in Derbent the 10th century, when it was under the rule of the Emirates – the new rulers tried to rebuild the city at your leisure.
In the seventh century ad Derbent was captured by the Arabs. It was then that the city began the wholesale introduction of Islam. In order to "lure" new in the faith of the people, in 754, there was built the Juma mosque. It was then Dagestan and was transformed into a military centre of the Caliphate.
In 1668, Derbent was captured by the Cossack ataman Stepan Razin. With it he began his Persian campaign. Then, tired of the frequent attacks, the townspeople gave themselves Peter I "the keys of the fortress."

photo from islam.ru

Repeatedly since then, Derbent were made to different States, finally annexed it to Russia in 1813.
Today there are more than one hundred and twenty thousand inhabitants. Every year it attracts quite a large number of tourists, most of whom were immensely happy for the fact that here you have the sea and the mountains. Besides, it is here today, made wine and brandy, which for decades are renowned for their quality and taste.