The Assa (Tsirtslovn-Tskhali, russian: Асса, Цирцловн-Цхали, ka, ასა, ce, Iaьса-хи, inh, Эса-хий) is a right
tributary
A tributary, or affluent, is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream or main stem (or parent) river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean. Tributaries and the main stem river drain the surrounding drai ...
of the
Sunzha in
Georgia
Georgia most commonly refers to:
* Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia
* Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States
Georgia may also refer to:
Places
Historical states and entities
* Related to the ...
and
Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eig ...
. It is located in
Dusheti Municipality
Dusheti ( ka, დუშეთის მუნიციპალიტეტი) is a municipality of Georgia, in the region of Mtskheta-Mtianeti. Its main town is Dusheti
Dusheti () is a town in Georgia, the administrative center of Dusheti Mun ...
of
Mtskheta-Mtianeti
Mtskheta-Mtianeti ( ka, მცხეთა-მთიანეთი, literally "Mtskheta-Mountain Area") is a region (Mkhare) in eastern Georgia comprising the town of Mtskheta, which serves as a regional capital, together with its district and th ...
, Georgia; and in
Dzheyrakhsky and
Sunzhensky Districts of
Ingushetia and in
Sunzhensky and
Achkhoy-Martanovsky District
Achkhoy-Martanovsky District (russian: Ачхо́й-Марта́новский райо́н; ce, Тӏеьха-Мартан кӏошт, ''Theẋa-Martan khoşt'') is an administrativeDecree #500 and municipalLaw #40-RZ district ( raion), one of fi ...
s of
Chechnya, Russia.
Geography
It measures long, and incorporates a drainage basin which is .
The basin includes the major part of
Ingushetia, areas in the west of
Chechnya, as well as minor areas in the north of Georgia. Within the river basin, more than 70% of the territory is subjected to
avalanche
An avalanche is a rapid flow of snow down a slope, such as a hill or mountain.
Avalanches can be set off spontaneously, by such factors as increased precipitation or snowpack weakening, or by external means such as humans, animals, and eart ...
s.
The river's source is on the northern slopes of the
Greater Caucasus
The Greater Caucasus ( az, Böyük Qafqaz, Бөјүк Гафгаз, بيوک قافقاز; ka, დიდი კავკასიონი, ''Didi K’avk’asioni''; russian: Большой Кавказ, ''Bolshoy Kavkaz'', sometimes translat ...
in
Khevsureti
Khevsureti ( Georgian: ხევსურეთი, ''a land of valleys'') is a historical-ethnographic region in eastern Georgia. They are the branch of Kartvelian ( Georgian) people located along both the northern (Pirikita khevsureti, Georgia ...
from where it flows north and crosses into Russia. The Assa accepts the
Gulaykhi from the right and flows through the
Erzi Nature Reserve. North of the
stanitsa
A stanitsa ( rus, станица, p=stɐˈnʲitsə; uk, станиця, stanytsya) is a village inside a Cossack host ( uk, військо, viys’ko; russian: казачье войско, kazach’ye voysko, sometimes translated as "Cossack Ar ...
of
Nesterovskaya, the Assa turns east, crosses into Chechnya, flows through the stanitsa of
Assinovskaya
Assinovskaya (russian: Ассиновская, ce, Эха-Борзе, ''Exa-Borze'') is a rural locality (a ''stanitsa'') in Sunzhensky District, Chechnya.
Administrative and municipal status
Municipally, Assinovskaya is incorporated as Assi ...
, and accepts the Fortanga from the right. The mouth of the Assa is at the locality of
Zakan-Yurt. The principal tributary of the Assa is the
Fortanga (right).
The Assa and
Terek also flow through the
Republic of Ingushetia
Ingushetia (; russian: Ингуше́тия; inh, ГӀалгӏайче, Ghalghayče), officially the Republic of Ingushetia,; inh, Гӏалгӏай Мохк, Ghalghay Moxk is a republic of Russia located in the North Caucasus of Eastern Europe. ...
in a south to north direction. The Assa, Terek and Gulaykhi river valleys are known for their large complex of stone battle towers and dwellings, burial crypts, pagan sanctuaries, and Christian churches". The
Ingushes
The Ingush (, inh, ГIалгIай, translit=Ghalghaj, pronounced ) per Oxford dictionary "a member of a people living mainly in Ingushetia in the central Caucasus." Ingushetia is a federal republic of Russian Federation. The Ingush are predomi ...
culture of the
North Caucasus
The North Caucasus, ( ady, Темыр Къафкъас, Temır Qafqas; kbd, Ишхъэрэ Къаукъаз, İṩxhərə Qauqaz; ce, Къилбаседа Кавказ, Q̇ilbaseda Kavkaz; , os, Цӕгат Кавказ, Cægat Kavkaz, inh, ...
, one of the ancient cultures, is well preserved here by the Dzhairakha-Assa state historical and architectural museum.
The village of
Alkhaste is situated on the river's left bank,
while the rural locality of
Samashki
Samashki (russian: Самашки; ce, СемаӀашка, '' Semajaşka'') is a rural locality (a '' selo'') in Achkhoy-Martanovsky District, Chechnya. Samashki is the administrative center and only settlement of the Samashkinskoye rural settle ...
is located on the river's outskirts.
The village of
Alkun is split in two by the river; Lower Alkun is inhabited by
Ingush, while Upper Alkun is inhabited by
Orstkhoy.
The climate in the river valley is characterized as having a frequent drying effect which supports special microzones.
History
In the
Middle Ages
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...
, a mine was located on the
right bank
In geography, a bank is the land alongside a body of water. Different structures are referred to as ''banks'' in different fields of geography, as follows.
In limnology (the study of inland waters), a stream bank or river bank is the terrai ...
, measuring in length and in width. Finds included an iron bar and working of
native gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile met ...
.
Though construction of a railway tunnel was envisaged from Georgia to Russia in the 1980s, including passage through the Assa River valley, construction was suspended a decade later.
Reservation
The upper reaches of the Assa and the Armhi have been combined into a natural reservation called the
Jeyrakh-Assa museum-reserve, which has canyon valleys. Its historical importance is due to the medieval
Christian Temple of 12th century and several other structures of
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a historic period, lasting approximately from 3300 BC to 1200 BC, characterized by the use of bronze, the presence of writing in some areas, and other early features of urban civilization. The Bronze Age is the second prin ...
(9th through 6th centuries BC), 300 towers of the 16th and 17th centuries which are habitable and where battles were fought, and 18 human habitats including 200
vaults dated to the same era. For these historical reasons, the Jeyrakh-Assa Reservation has been proposed to be inscribed as a
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...
World Heritage Site
A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...
.
See also
*
Jeyrakh-Assa museum-reserve
*
Asa Managed Reserve
References
{{reflist, 30em
Rivers of Chechnya
Rivers of Ingushetia
Rivers of Georgia (country)
International rivers of Asia
International rivers of Europe