Metskhal ( inh, Мецхал, Metskhal) is an abandoned
aul
An aul (; ce, oil; russian: аул) is a type of fortified village or town found throughout the Caucasus mountains and Soviet Central Asia, Central Asia.
The word itself is of Turkic origin and simply means ''village'' in many Turkic language ...
in the
Dzheyrakhsky District
Dzheyrakhsky District (russian: Джейра́хский райо́н; inh, ЖӀайраха шахьар, ) is an administrative and municipalLaw #5-RZ district (raion), one of the four in the Republic of Ingushetia, Russia. It is located in the ...
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. ...
. It is part of the rural settlement of Lyazhgi (administrative center rural settlement).
Etymology
The name was most likely based on the Ingush word "metskhalg", which means "swift", which was revered by the Ingush. Perhaps Metskhal has connection with the name of the ancient capital of
Georgia Mtskheta.
Geography
Metskhal is located northeast of the village of
Falkhan, on the spur of
Mountain Mätloam.
History
In January 8 1811, foremen of 13 Kistin (
Fyappin) villages including Metskhal made act of oath for the
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia following the Treaty of Nystad, which ended the Great Northern War. ...
. However it is worth saying that even after the oath of individual Ingush society or clans, the former Russian-Ingush relations remained the same. In fact, both sides took these type of oaths as a conclusion
union treaties.
Per List of populated areas of the Military-Ossetian ''Okrug'' in 1859, Metskhal had 13 households and it was part of the Military-Ossetian ''Okrug'' as part of the Kistin society.
In Metskhal there were once separate, but closely interconnected powerful tower castle complexes of the Dzhabagievs, Tochievs, Kusievs, and Kotievs. This tower complex was the administrative, cultural and economic center of the late-medieval Fyappin or Metskhalin society (in the 19th century).
Metalworking has been widely developed among the Ingush since ancient times. Local artisans skillfully combined various metal processing operations: graining, blackening, gilding, inlay with multi-colored inserts. The most famous centers of jewelry among the Ingush were Metskhal and others.
A prominent place in the history of religious beliefs is occupied by Christianity, which penetrates to the Ingush first from
Georgia (beginning of 12th to 13th centuries and 17th century), later
Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...
(18-19 centuries). Three Christian churches were located in the
Assinovskaya Hollow:
Tkhaba-Yerdy
Tkhaba-Yerdy (Ingush: ТкъобIa–Ерды; russian: Храм Тхаба–Ерды; ka, ტყობა-ერდი) is the ruins of the largest medieval Christian church in Ingushetia, Russian Federation. It is located deep in the Assin Gorg ...
,
Alby-Yerdy and
Thargam-Erdy. Early Christian stone-box burials of this period were found near the village of Metskhal and others.
The Metskhal tower complex is a large settlement consisting of two powerful castle complexes. There were two battle towers. One of the battle towers with a flat roof was clearly visible. Defensive walls and residential towers were preserved until 1944, when after the
Deportation of Chechens and Ingush, the entire complex was mined and blown up.
According to the stories of the
abreks:
References
Bibliography
*
*
*
* {{Cite book, last1=Долгиева, first1=М. Б., last2=Картоев, first2=М. М., last3=Кодзоев, first3=Н. Д., last4=Матиев, first4=Т. Х., year=2013, editor-last=Кодзоев, editor-first=Н. Д., url=https://dzurdzuki.com/download/istoriya-ingushetii-otv-red-kodzoev-n-d-2013/, title=История Ингушетии, trans-title=History of Ingushetia, edition=4th, location=Ростов-на-Дону, publisher=Южный издательский дом, pages=1–600, isbn=978-5-98864-056-1
Rural localities in Ingushetia