Derbent
You can help expand this article with text translated from the corresponding article in Russian. (March 2023) Click [show] for important translation instructions.
|
Derbent
Дербент | |
---|---|
City[1] | |
Other transcription(s) | |
• Azerbaijani | Дәрбәнд (Dərbənd) |
• Tat and Avar | Дербенд |
• Lezgian | Кьвевар, Цал, Дербенд |
• Dargwa | Чяли |
Postal code(s)[7] | 368600 |
Dialing code(s) | +7 87240 |
OKTMO ID | 82710000001 |
Website | www |
Derbent (
Derbent claims to be the oldest city in Russia, with historical documentation dating to the
Etymology
Derbent is derived from
It is often identified with the
šahrestan [ī] kūmīs [ī] panj-burg až-i dahāg pad šabestān kard. māniš [ī] *pārsīgān ānōh būd. padxwadayīh [ī] yazdgird ī šabuhrān kard andar tāzišn ī čōl wērōy-pahr [ī] an ālag. (The city of Kūmīs of five towers Aži Dahag made it his own harem. The abode of the Parthians was there. In the reign of Yazdgird, the son of Šabuhr made it during the invasion of the Čōl, at the boundary of the Georgian Guard.).[13]
-Wėrōy-pahr: "The Georgian Guard" The old name of the fortress at Darband;...[14]
In Arabic texts the city was known as "Bāb al-Abwāb" (
History
Derbent's location on a narrow, three-kilometer strip of land in the North Caucasus between the Caspian Sea and the Caucasus mountains is strategic in the entire Caucasus region. Historically, this position allowed the rulers of Derbent to control land traffic between the Eurasian Steppe and the Middle East. The only other practicable crossing of the Caucasus ridge was over the Darial Gorge.
Persian rule
A traditionally and historically
The 20-meter-high (66 ft) walls with thirty north-looking towers are believed to belong to the time of Kavadh's son,
Some say that the level of the Caspian was formerly higher and that the lowering of the water level opened an invasion route that had to be fortified.[22] The chronicler Movses Kaghankatvatsi wrote about "the wondrous walls, for whose construction the Persian kings exhausted our country, recruiting architects and collecting building materials with a view of constructing a great edifice stretching between the Caucasus Mountains and the Great Eastern Sea". Derbent became a strong military outpost and harbour of the Sassanid Empire. During the 5th and 6th centuries, Derbent also became an important center for spreading the Christian faith in the Caucasus.
During periods when the Sasanians were distracted by war with the
Movses Kagankatvatsi left a graphic description of the
As mentioned by the
Arab conquest
In 643, Derbent was captured by the Arab Muslims, who called it the Gate of Gates (Bab al-Abwab), The Holy Saviour Armenian Church still rises up in the skyline, though it is used as the Museum of Carpet, Arts and Crafts today due to the decline in the Armenian population. There was also a second Armenian church and two Armenian schools which served the Armenian community, which numbered about 3,000 in the census of 1913.
Excavations on the eastern side of the Caspian Sea, opposite to Derbent, revealed the
The Caliph
Shirvanshah era
The
After the Timurid invasion, Ibrahim I of Shirvan, the 33rd Shirvanshah, managed to keep the kingdom of Shirvan independent. Ibrahim I revived Shirvan's fortunes, and through his cunning politics managed to continue without paying tribute. Furthermore, Ibrahim also greatly increased the limits of his state. He conquered the city of Derbend in 1437. The Shirvanshahs integrated the city so closely with their political structure that a new branch of the Shirvan dynasty emerged from Derbend, the Derbenid dynasty. The Derbenid dynasty, being a cadet dynasty of Shirvan, inherited the throne of Shirvan in the 15th century.
In the early 16th century, the kingdom of Shirvan was conquered by
Russian conquest
Derbent stayed under
Being briefly taken by the Russians as a result of the
During the
In the 1886 census of Dagestan Oblast, as part of Russia's Caucasus Viceroyalty, people of Iranian descent (Russian: персы) were still an absolute majority at 8,994 out of 15,265, or 58,9%.[38]
Geography
The modern city is built in the
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
Climate
Derbent has a
Climate data for Derbent | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Record high °C (°F) | 26.7 (80.1) |
26.6 (79.9) |
28.3 (82.9) |
30.1 (86.2) |
34.2 (93.6) |
35.3 (95.5) |
35.8 (96.4) |
38.8 (101.8) |
33.0 (91.4) |
28.0 (82.4) |
28.0 (82.4) |
27.6 (81.7) |
38.8 (101.8) |
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 4.8 (40.6) |
4.7 (40.5) |
7.4 (45.3) |
13.6 (56.5) |
20.0 (68.0) |
25.4 (77.7) |
28.4 (83.1) |
28.2 (82.8) |
23.7 (74.7) |
17.5 (63.5) |
11.7 (53.1) |
7.2 (45.0) |
16.1 (61.0) |
Daily mean °C (°F) | 2.1 (35.8) |
2.0 (35.6) |
4.5 (40.1) |
10.1 (50.2) |
16.3 (61.3) |
21.7 (71.1) |
24.9 (76.8) |
24.6 (76.3) |
20.2 (68.4) |
14.3 (57.7) |
8.9 (48.0) |
4.5 (40.1) |
12.9 (55.2) |
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −0.2 (31.6) |
−0.2 (31.6) |
2.2 (36.0) |
7.1 (44.8) |
12.8 (55.0) |
17.9 (64.2) |
21.2 (70.2) |
21.0 (69.8) |
16.9 (62.4) |
11.4 (52.5) |
6.4 (43.5) |
2.3 (36.1) |
10.0 (50.0) |
Record low °C (°F) | −18.9 (−2.0) |
−19.0 (−2.2) |
−9.1 (15.6) |
−3.1 (26.4) |
4.1 (39.4) |
8.5 (47.3) |
12.9 (55.2) |
10.7 (51.3) |
5.1 (41.2) |
−3.4 (25.9) |
−9.7 (14.5) |
−14.2 (6.4) |
−19.0 (−2.2) |
Average precipitation mm (inches) | 30.7 (1.21) |
31.6 (1.24) |
23.4 (0.92) |
20.9 (0.82) |
22.9 (0.90) |
18.7 (0.74) |
18.9 (0.74) |
24.8 (0.98) |
47.0 (1.85) |
52.2 (2.06) |
48.5 (1.91) |
39.9 (1.57) |
379.5 (14.94) |
Average precipitation days | 11.0 | 10.9 | 8.7 | 6.1 | 5.9 | 5.8 | 4.9 | 5.2 | 7.3 | 9.3 | 10.6 | 11.2 | 96.8 |
Mean monthly sunshine hours | 72 | 73 | 102 | 158 | 227 | 260 | 275 | 248 | 193 | 133 | 86 | 67 | 1,894 |
Source: climatebase.ru[39] |
Administrative and municipal status
Within the
Demographics
Year | Pop. | ±% |
---|---|---|
1897 | 14,649 | — |
1926 | 23,100 | +57.7% |
1939 | 34,100 | +47.6% |
1959 | 47,318 | +38.8% |
1970 | 57,192 | +20.9% |
1979 | 69,575 | +21.7% |
1989 | 78,371 | +12.6% |
2002 | 101,031 | +28.9% |
2010 | 119,200 | +18.0% |
2021 | 124,953 | +4.8% |
Source: Census data |
According to the 1897 census, Derbent had 14,649 inhabitants, 9,767 of whom were Tatar (later known as Azerbaijani) speakers (66.7%) and 1,004 were Russian speakers (6.9%).[40]
In 1916, Derbent had a population of 31,168 consisting of 7,919
According to the 2021 Census, the main ethnic groups in the city are:[42]
- Lezgins(36.4%)
- Azerbaijanis(35.1%)
- Tabasarans (12.2%)
- Dargins(5.0%)
- Russians (3.0%)
- Aghuls (3.0%)
- Rutuls (0.8%)
Jewish community
Jews began to settle in Derbent in ancient times. During the Khazars' reign, they played an important part in the life of the city.[43] The Jewish traveler Benjamin of Tudela mentions Jews living in Derbent in the 12th century, and Christian traveler Wilhelm of Rubruquis writes about a Jewish community in the 13th century. The first mention of Jews in Derbent in modern times is by a German traveler, Adam Olearius, in the 17th century.
Derbent's Jewry suffered during the wars in the 18th century. Nadir Shah of Persia forced many Jews to adopt Islam. After the Russian conquest, many Jews of rural Dagestan fled to Derbent, which became the spiritual center of the Mountain Jews. The Jewish population numbered 2,200 in 1897 (15% of total population) and 3,500 in 1903. In the middle of the 20th century, Jews constituted about a third of the population of Derbent.[44] In 1989, there were 13,000 Jews in the city, but most emigrated after the dissolution of the Soviet Union. In 2002, there were 2,000 Jews with an active synagogue and community center.[45] The chief rabbi of Derbent, Obadiah Isakov, was badly injured in an assassination attempt on July 25, 2013, sparking concerns of further acts of antisemitism targeting the Jewish community.[46] In 2016, the Jewish population was down to 1,345.[47]
Economy and culture
The city is home to machine building, food, textile, fishing, and fishery supplies, construction materials, and wood industries. It is the center of Russian brandy production. The educational infrastructure includes a university as well as several technical schools. On the cultural front, there is a Lezgin drama theater (named after S. Stalsky). About two kilometers (1.2 miles) from the city is the vacation colony of Chayka (Seagull).
The Soviet novelist Yury Krymov named a fictional motor tanker after the city in his book The Tanker "Derbent".
Theaters
Derbent has 3 state and 1 municipal theaters.
- State Azerbaijan Drama Theater
- State Lezgin Music and Drama Theater named after S. Stalsky
- State Tabasaran Drama Theater
- Judeo-Tat Theatre
Citadel of Derbend
Derbent resembles a huge museum and has magnificent mountains and shore nearby, and therefore possesses much touristic potential, 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 halted development.
The current fortification and walls were built by the Persian
A large portion of the walls and several watchtowers still remain in reasonable shape. The walls, reaching to the sea, date from the 6th century, Sassanid dynasty period. The city has a well-preserved citadel (Narin-kala), enclosing an area of 4.5 hectares (11 acres), 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.
Religious monuments
As of 1865, the city had: 1 - Russian and 1 - Armenian church; 1 - Sunni and 16 - Shiite mosques, as well as 3 synagogues.[48]
Mosques
- Juma Mosque is the oldest mosque in Russia and the CIS. Built over a 6th-century Christian basilica; it has a 15th-century madrasa.
- Bala-mosque is a mosque at the gates of Orta-kapa. In 1796 it was destroyed during the siege of the city by General Zubov. Restored in 1812.[49]
- Kilis-mosque is a mosque. It is located in the 7th district. In 1823-1853 the mosque served as a church. Now it is called Tovba Mesjidi.[50]
- Kyrhlyar-mosque is a mosque at the gates of Kyrhlyar-kapa. Built in 1626-1627 by order of Shah Abbas. Another name is Shah Abbas Mesjidi. Rebuilt several times.[51]
- The Minaret-mosque is the only mosque in the city with a minaret. Construction dates back to the XIII-XIV centuries. Rebuilt in the middle of the 19th century. The minaret is 11.5 meters high.[52]
- Chertebe-mosque is a mosque in 1 mahal. Construction dates back to the 17th century. Rebuilt at the end of the 19th century. Completely demolished in the 1960s.[53]
Churches
- Armenian Church of the Holy All-Savior is an architectural monument of the XIX century. Built in 1860. After the completion of the overhaul and restoration work, in May 1982, a museum of fine arts (a branch of the republican museum of fine arts) was opened in it. The museum became part of the State Museum-Reserve as a department of "Carpets and arts and crafts".
- Church of the Intercession of the Holy Virgin is an Orthodox church. Built in 1899, opened in 1900. [54]
- Cathedral of St. George the Victorious of Derbent was the main Russian Orthodox Church in the city of Derbent. Demolished in 1938.
Synagogues
- The Derbent Synagogue is the only synagogue in the city. The center of the spiritual life of the Jews of Derbent. Built in 1914. In 2009 the synagogue building was reconstructed. It was reopened on March 22, 2010.
Cemeteries
- early Muslim expansion.[57]
Lighthouse
- Derbent Lighthouse is the southernmost lighthouse in Russia. The lighthouse is included in the list of protected monuments of Russia and UNESCO.
Notable people
- Shahriyar of Derbent (7th century), Sasanian commander
- Yuno Semyonov (1899–1961), prose writer, playwright and artistic director
- Boris Gavrilov(1908–1990), writer and poet
- Mishi Bakhshiev (1910–1972), writer and poet
- Daniil Atnilov (1913–1968), poet
- Manuvakh Dadashev (1913–1943), poet
- Sergey Izgiyayev (1922–1972), poet, playwright, and translator of Mountain Jewish descent
- Tamara Musakhanov (1924—2014), sculptor and ceramist
- Mikhail Gavrilov (1926–2014), writer and poet
- Yagutil Mishiev (born 1927), writer
- Zoya Semenduev(1929–2020), poet
- Mushail Mushailov (1941—2007), artist and teacher
- Igor Yusufov (born 1956), politician
- Bella Nisan (born ca.1957), ophthalmologist
- Israel Tsvaygenbaum (born 1961), artist
- Suleyman Kerimov (born 1966), businessman, investor, and politician
- Sevil Novruzova (born ca.1977), lawyer
Twin towns – sister cities
Derbent is
References
Notes
- ^ a b c d e f g Law #16
- ^ "База данных показателей муниципальных образований". Archived from the original on October 6, 2017. Retrieved June 9, 2015.
- ^ Russian Federal State Statistics Service (2011). Всероссийская перепись населения 2010 года. Том 1 [2010 All-Russian Population Census, vol. 1]. Всероссийская перепись населения 2010 года [2010 All-Russia Population Census] (in Russian). Federal State Statistics Service.
- ^ Error: Unable to display the reference properly. See the documentation for details.
- ^ a b c Law #6
- ^ "Об исчислении времени". Официальный интернет-портал правовой информации (in Russian). June 3, 2011. Retrieved January 19, 2019.
- ^ Почта России. Информационно-вычислительный центр ОАСУ РПО. (Russian Post). Поиск объектов почтовой связи (Postal Objects Search) (in Russian)
- ^ Baynes, T. S., ed. (1878). Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 7 (9th ed.). New York: Charles Scribner's Sons. p. 105. .
- ^ Derbent - Russia’s oldest city: 5,000 and counting Archived May 15, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
- ISBN 1598849484
- ^ Zonn, Igor S.; Kosarev, Aleksey N.; Glantz, Michael; Kostianoy, Andrey G. (2010). The Caspian Sea Encyclopedia. Springer. p. 160.
- ^ a b c d e f g "DARBAND (1)". Retrieved December 29, 2014.
- ISBN 1-56859-143-8.)
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: location (link - ISBN 1-56859-143-8.)
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: location (link - ^ McFarquhar, Neil (February 17, 2016). "Derbent as Russia's Oldest City? Think Again, Moscow Says". The New York Times. Retrieved February 17, 2016.
- ISBN 9781136107146.
- ISBN 9780713805802.
- ^ The Modern Part of an Universal History: From the Earliest Account of Time. Compiled from Original Writers. By the Authors of The Antient Part. S. Richardson, T. Osborne, C. Hitch, A. Millar, John Rivington, S. Crowder, P. Davey and B. Law, T. Longman, and C. Ware. 1759.
- ISBN 0801462908. pp. 47–52.
- ^ a b public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Derbent". Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 8 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 64. One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in the
- ^ ISBN 978-1442203020. p. 126.
- ^ Robert H. Hewsen, Armenia: A Historical Atlas, 2001, page 89.
- ^ a b c "DAGESTAN". Retrieved June 11, 2015.
- ^ Saidov and Shikhsaidov, pp. 26–27.
- ^ Bol’shakov and Mongaĭt, p. 26.
- ^ Islam: Islam In The Caucasus And The Middle Volga
- ^ See (in Armenian) Sedrak Barkhudaryan, “Դերբենդի հայ-աղվանական թագավորությունը” (“The Armenian-Caucasian Albanian Kingdom of Derbend”). Patma-Banasirakan Handes . № 3, 1969, pp. 125-147.
- ^ (in Armenian) Matthew of Edessa. Ժամանակնագրություն (Chronicle). Translated by Hrach Bartikyan. Yerevan: Hayastan Publishing, 1973, pp. 151-152, 332, note 132a.
- ISBN 978-0-231-07068-3.
- ISBN 978-0-89774-940-4.
- ISBN 978-0-7425-0063-1.)
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link - ISBN 978-0-415-78153-4.
- ISBN 978-975-6782-18-7.)
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link - ISBN 978-0-465-04576-1.]
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)[permanent dead link - ^ "Citadel, Ancient City and Fortress Buildings of Derbent". Retrieved December 29, 2014.
- ISBN 9781105258183. Retrieved December 29, 2014.
- ISBN 9781598849486. Retrieved December 29, 2014.
- ^ НАСЕЛЕНИЕ ДАГЕСТАНА ДАГЕСТАНСКАЯ ОБЛАСТЬ (1886 г.) Retrieved 29 October 2015
- ^ "Climatebase". Retrieved November 4, 2017.
- ^ "Демоскоп Weekly - Приложение. Справочник статистических показателей". www.demoscope.ru. Retrieved August 3, 2022.
- ^ Кавказский календарь на 1917 год [Caucasian calendar for 1917] (in Russian) (72nd ed.). Tiflis: Tipografiya kantselyarii Ye.I.V. na Kavkaze, kazenny dom. 1917. pp. 186–193. Archived from the original on November 4, 2021.
- ^ "Национальный состав населения". Rosstat. Retrieved August 16, 2023.
- ^ "DERBENT - JewishEncyclopedia.com". Retrieved June 9, 2015.
- ^ "Saving Another Dying Jewish Language Before It's Too Late". Haaretz. April 19, 2010.
- ^ "Derbent - Jewish Virtual Library". Retrieved June 9, 2015.
- ^ "После покушения на раввина евреи Дагестана живут в страхе". Retrieved June 9, 2015.
- ^ Derbent as Russia's Oldest City? Think Again, Moscow Says
- ^ P. Semenov. Derbent // Geographical and Statistical Dictionary of the Russian Empire. Volume II. - St. Petersburg, 1865. pp. 36-37.
- ^ Huseynov G.-B. Ya., 2005, pp. 79—80.
- ^ Huseynov G.-B. Ya., 2005, pp. 346—349.
- ^ Huseynov G.-B. Ya., 2005, pp. 392—395.
- ^ Huseynov G.-B. Ya., 2005, p. 440.
- ^ Huseynov G.-B. Ya., 2005, p. 702.
- ^ How does the Orthodox live in Dagestan?
- ^ Holy stones
- ^ Reconstruction and improvement of the historical Muslim cemetery Kyrkhlyar
- ^ "Derbent - Kyrkhlyar". Archived from the original on June 29, 2022. Retrieved June 29, 2022.
- ^ "Города-побратимы". derbent.ru (in Russian). Derbent. Retrieved February 3, 2020.
Sources
- Народное Собрание Республики Дагестан. Закон №16 от 10 апреля 2002 г. «Об административно-территориальном устройстве Республики Дагестан», в ред. Закона №106 от 30 декабря 2013 г. «О внесении изменений в некоторые законодательные акты Республики Дагестан». Вступил в силу со дня официального опубликования. Опубликован: "Дагестанская правда", №81, 12 апреля 2002 г. (People's Assembly of the Republic of Dagestan. Law #16 of April 10, 2002 On the Administrative-Territorial Structure of the Republic of Dagestan, as amended by the Law #106 of December 30, 2013 On Amending Various Legislative Acts of the Republic of Dagestan. Effective as of the day of the official publication.).
- Народное Собрание Республики Дагестан. Закон №6 от 13 января 2005 г. «О статусе и границах муниципальных образований Республики Дагестан», в ред. Закона №43 от 30 апреля 2015 г. «О статусе городского округа с внутригородским делением "Город Махачкала", статусе и границах внутригородских районов в составе городского округа с внутригородским делением "Город Махачкала" и о внесении изменений в отдельные законодательные акты Республики Дагестан». Вступил в силу со дня официального опубликования. Опубликован: "Дагестанская правда", №8, 15 февраля 2005 г. (People's Assembly of the Republic of Dagestan. Law #6 of January 13, 2005 On the Status and Borders of the Municipal Formations of the Republic of Dagestan, as amended by the Law #43 of April 30, 2015 On the Status of the "City of Makhachkala" Urban Okrug with Intra-Urban Divisions, the Status and the Borders of the Intra-City Districts Comprising the "City of Makhachkala" Urban Okrug with Intra-Urban Divisions, and on Amending Various Legislative Acts of the Republic of Dagestan. Effective as of the day of the official publication.).
- Some text used with permission from www.travel-images.com. The original text can be found here [1].
- M. S. Saidov, ed., Katalog arabskikh rukopiseĭ Instituta IYaL Dagestanskogo filiala AN SSSR (Catalogue of Arabic manuscripts in the H.L.L. Institute of the Dāḡestān branch of the A.N. of the U.S.S.R.) I, Moscow, 1977.
- Idem and A. R. Shikhsaidov, “Derbend-name (k istorii izucheniya)” (Darband-nāma. On the history of research),” in Vostochnye istochniki po istorii Dagestana (Eastern sources on the history of Dāḡestān), Makhachkala, 1980, pp. 564.
External links
- Official website of Derbent (in Russian)
- Derbent Business Directory (in Russian)
- History and attractions of Derbent
- History of Derbent and the millennia old historical and cultural relations it has with Iran.