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Derbent (russian: Дербе́нт; lez, Кьвевар, Цал; az, Дәрбәнд, italic=no, Dərbənd; av, Дербенд; fa, دربند), formerly
romanized Romanization or romanisation, in linguistics, is the conversion of text from a different writing system to the Roman (Latin) script, or a system for doing so. Methods of romanization include transliteration, for representing written text, and ...
as Derbend, is a city in
Dagestan Dagestan ( ; rus, Дагеста́н, , dəɡʲɪˈstan, links=yes), officially the Republic of Dagestan (russian: Респу́блика Дагеста́н, Respúblika Dagestán, links=no), is a republic of Russia situated in the North C ...
, Russia, located on the Caspian Sea. It is the southernmost city in Russia, and it is the second-most important city of Dagestan. Derbent occupies the narrow gateway between the Caspian Sea and the Caucasus Mountains connecting the
Eurasian Steppe The Eurasian Steppe, also simply called the Great Steppe or the steppes, is the vast steppe ecoregion of Eurasia in the temperate grasslands, savannas and shrublands biome. It stretches through Hungary, Bulgaria, Romania, Moldova and Transnistri ...
to the north and the Iranian Plateau to the south; covering an area of , with a population of roughly 120,000 residents. Derbent claims to be the oldest city in Russia, with historical documentation dating to the 8th century BC, making it one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. Due to its strategic location, over the course of history, the city changed ownership many times, particularly among the Persian, Arab, Mongol,
Timurid Timurid refers to those descended from Timur (Tamerlane), a 14th-century conqueror: * Timurid dynasty, a dynasty of Turco-Mongol lineage descended from Timur who established empires in Central Asia and the Indian subcontinent ** Timurid Empire of C ...
, and Shirvan kingdoms. In the 19th century, the city passed from Persian into Russian hands by the Treaty of Gulistan of 1813.


Etymology

Derbent is derived from Persian "''Darband''" (, from ''dar'' “door/gate” + ''band'' “barrier/dam”, lit., “gate in the barrier”), referring to the eastern-most pass in the high Caucasus Mountains (whence the putative "barrier/dam") on the beaches of the Caspian Sea. (The other pass, the Darial Pass, is in Central Caucasus Mountains, and likewise carries a Persian name, standing for "the Alan Pass/gate" with the Alans being the modern Iranic Ossetians.) It is often identified with the Gates of Alexander, a legendary barrier supposedly built by Alexander the Great in the Caucasus. The Persian name for the city came into use at the end of the 5th or the beginning of the 6th century AD, when the city was re-established by Kavadh I of the Sassanid dynasty of Persia, but Derbent was probably already in the Sasanian sphere of influence as a result of the victory over the
Parthians Parthian may be: Historical * A demonym "of Parthia", a region of north-eastern of Greater Iran * Parthian Empire (247 BC – 224 AD) * Parthian language, a now-extinct Middle Iranian language * Parthian shot, an archery skill famously employed by ...
and the conquest of
Caucasian Albania Caucasian Albania is a modern exonym for a former state located in ancient times in the Caucasus: mostly in what is now Azerbaijan (where both of its capitals were located). The modern endonyms for the area are ''Aghwank'' and ''Aluank'', among ...
by Shapur I, the second shah of the Sassanid Persians. The geographical treatise Šahrestānīhā ī Ērānšahr written in Middle Persian mentions the old name of the fortress – ''Wērōy-pahr'' (The Gruzinian Guard):
šahrestan kūmīs panj-burg až-i dahāg pad šabestān kard. māniš *pārsīgān ānōh būd. padxwadayīh yazdgird ī šabuhrān kard andar tāzišn ī čōl wērōy-pahr 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 Gruzinian Guard.).
-Wėrōy-pahr: "The Gruzinian Guard" The old name of the fortress at Darband;...
In Arabic texts the city was known as "''Bāb al-Abwāb''" ( ar, بَاب ٱلْأَبْوَاب, lit=Gate of all Gates), simply as "''al-Bāb''" () or as "''Bāb al-Hadid''" (). A similar name meaning "Iron Gate" was used by Turkic peoples, in the form "''Demirkapi''".


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 The Eurasian Steppe, also simply called the Great Steppe or the steppes, is the vast steppe ecoregion of Eurasia in the temperate grasslands, savannas and shrublands biome. It stretches through Hungary, Bulgaria, Romania, Moldova and Transnistri ...
and the Middle East. The only other practicable crossing of the Caucasus ridge was over the Darial Gorge.


Persian rule

A traditionally and historically Iranian city,Michael Khodarkovsky
"Bitter Choices: Loyalty and Betrayal in the Russian Conquest of the North Caucasus"
Cornell University Press, 12 mrt. 2015. . pp. 47–52.
the first intensive settlement in the Derbent area dates from the 8th century BC; the site was intermittently controlled by the Persian monarchs, starting from the 6th century BC. Until the 4th century AD, it was part of
Caucasian Albania Caucasian Albania is a modern exonym for a former state located in ancient times in the Caucasus: mostly in what is now Azerbaijan (where both of its capitals were located). The modern endonyms for the area are ''Aghwank'' and ''Aluank'', among ...
which was a satrapy of the Achaemenid Persian Empire, and is traditionally identified with Albana, the capital. The modern name is a Persian word ( ''Darband'') meaning "gateway", which came into use in the end of the 5th or the beginning of the 6th century AD, when the city was re-established by Kavadh I of the Sassanid dynasty of Persia, however, Derbent was probably already into the Sasanian sphere of influence as a result of the victory over the Parthians and the conquest of Caucasian Albania by Shapur I, the second shah of the Sassanid Persians. In the 5th century Derbent also functioned as a border fortress and the seat of a Sassanid marzban. The walls with thirty north-looking towers are believed to belong to the time of Kavadh's son,
Khosrau I Khosrow I (also spelled Khosrau, Khusro or Chosroes; pal, 𐭧𐭥𐭮𐭫𐭥𐭣𐭩; New Persian: []), traditionally known by his epithet of Anushirvan ( [] "the Immortal Soul"), was the Sasanian Empire, Sasanian King of Kings of Iran from ...
, who also directed the construction of Derbent's fortress.Kevin Alan Brook
"The Jews of Khazatia"
Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 27 sep. 2006. . p. 126.
The Sassanid fortress does not exist anymore, as the famous Derbent fortress as it stands today was built from the 12th century onward. 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.Robert H. Hewsen, ''Armenia: A Historical Atlas'', 2001, page 89. 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 The Sasanian () or Sassanid Empire, officially known as the Empire of Iranians (, ) and also referred to by historians as the Neo-Persian Empire, was the last Iranian empire before the early Muslim conquests of the 7th-8th centuries AD. Named ...
. During the 5th and 6th centuries, Derbent also became an important center for spreading the
Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...
faith in the Caucasus. During periods when the Sasanians were distracted by war with the Byzantines or protracted battles with the Hephthalites in the eastern provinces, the northern tribes succeeded in advancing into the Caucasus. The first Sasanian attempt to seal off the road along the Caspian seacoast at Darband by means of a mud-brick wall has been dated in the reign of
Yazdegerd II Yazdegerd II (also spelled Yazdgerd and Yazdgird; pal, 𐭩𐭦𐭣𐭪𐭥𐭲𐭩), was the Sasanian King of Kings () of Iran from 438 to 457. He was the successor and son of Bahram V (). His reign was marked by wars against the Eastern Roman ...
(438–457 AD). Movses Kagankatvatsi left a graphic description of the sack of Derbent by the hordes of
Tong Yabghu Tong Yabghu Qaghan (r. 618–628 or 630) (also known as T'ung Yabghu, Tong Yabghu Khagan, and Tong Yabğu, Traditional Chinese 統葉護可汗, Simplified Chinese: 统叶护可汗, pinyin ''Tǒng Yèhù Kěhán'', Wade-Giles: ''T'ung Yeh-hu K'o-h ...
of the Western Turkic Khaganate in 627. His successor,
Böri Shad Böri Shad (fl. c. 627) ( otk, 𐰋𐰇𐰼𐰃𐱁𐰑, böri šad, , "Wolf governor") was a Turkic prince or general who fought the Persians south of the Caucasus during the Third Perso-Turkic War. In this war the Western Turkic Khaganate was al ...
, proved unable to consolidate Tong Yabghu's conquests, and the city was retaken by the Persians, who held it as an integral domain until the Muslim Arab conquest. As mentioned by the '' Encyclopedia Iranica'', ancient Iranian language elements were absorbed into the everyday speech of the population of Dagestan and Derbent especially during the Sassanian era, and many remain current. In fact, a deliberate policy of “ Persianizing” Derbent and the eastern Caucasus, in general, can be traced over many centuries, from Khosrow I to the
Safavid Safavid Iran or Safavid Persia (), also referred to as the Safavid Empire, '. was one of the greatest Iranian empires after the 7th-century Muslim conquest of Persia, which was ruled from 1501 to 1736 by the Safavid dynasty. It is often conside ...
shahs Ismail I, and ʿAbbās the Great. According to the account in the later "Darband-nāma", after construction of the fortifications Khosrow I “moved much folk here from Persia”, relocating about 3,000 families from the interior of Persia in the city of Derbent and neighboring villages. This account seems to be corroborated by the Spanish Arab Ḥamīd Moḥammad Ḡarnāṭī, who reported in 1130 that Derbent was populated by many ethnic groups, including a large Persian-speaking population.


Arab conquest

In 654, Derbent was captured by the Arabs, who called it the Gate of Gates (''Bab al-Abwab''), following their invasion of Persia. They transformed it into an important administrative center and introduced
Islam Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic Monotheism#Islam, monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God in Islam, God (or ...
to the area. The impression of antiquity evoked by these fortifications led many Arab historians to connect them with
Khosrow I Khosrow I (also spelled Khosrau, Khusro or Chosroes; pal, 𐭧𐭥𐭮𐭫𐭥𐭣𐭩; New Persian: []), traditionally known by his epithet of Anushirvan ( [] "the Immortal Soul"), was the Sasanian Empire, Sasanian King of Kings of Iran from ...
and to include them among the seven wonders of the world. The Darband fortress was certainly the most prominent Sasanian defensive construction in the Caucasus and could have been erected only by an extremely powerful central government. Because of its strategic position on the northern branch of the Silk Route, the fortress was contested by the Khazars in the course of the Khazar-Arab Wars. The Sassanids had also brought Armenians from Syunik to help protect the pass from invaders; as Arab rule weakened in the region at the end of the ninth century, the Armenians living there were able to establish a kingdom, which lasted until the early years of the thirteenth century. 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 Great Wall of Gorgan, the eastern counterpart to the wall and fortifications of Derbent. Similar Sassanian defensive fortifications there—massive forts, garrison towns, long walls—also run from the sea to the mountains. The Caliph Harun al-Rashid lived in Derbent and brought it into great repute as a seat of the arts and commerce. According to Arab historians, Derbent, with a population exceeding 50,000, was the largest city of the 9th century in the 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 manipulate Derbent's politics on occasion. Despite that, the emirate outlived its rival and continued to flourish at the time of the Mongol invasion in 1239. In the 14th century, Derbent was occupied by Timur's armies.


Shirvanshah era

The
Shirvanshah ''Shirvanshah'' ( fa, شروانشاه), also spelled as ''Shīrwān Shāh'' or ''Sharwān Shāh'', was the title of the rulers of Shirvan from the mid-9th century to the early 16th century. The title remained in a single family, the Yazidids, a ...
s dynasty existed as independent or a vassal state, from 861 until 1538; longer than any other dynasty in the
Islamic world The terms Muslim world and Islamic world commonly refer to the Islamic community, which is also known as the Ummah. This consists of all those who adhere to the religious beliefs and laws of Islam or to societies in which Islam is practiced. In ...
. They were renowned for their cultural achievements and geopolitical pursuits. The rulers of Shirvan, called the Shirvanshahs, had attempted, and on numerous times, succeeded, to conquer Derbend since the 18th Shirvanshah king, Afridun I, was appointed as the governor of the city. Over the centuries the city changed hands often. The 21st Shirvanshah king, Akhsitan I, briefly reconquered the city. However, the city was lost once again to the northern
Kipchaks The Kipchaks or Qipchaks, also known as Kipchak Turks or Polovtsians, were a Turkic nomadic people and confederation that existed in the Middle Ages, inhabiting parts of the Eurasian Steppe. First mentioned in the 8th century as part of the Se ...
. 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
Shah Ismail Ismail I ( fa, اسماعیل, Esmāʿīl, ; July 17, 1487 – May 23, 1524), also known as Shah Ismail (), was the founder of the Safavid dynasty of Iran, ruling as its King of Kings (''Shahanshah'') from 1501 to 1524. His reign is often c ...
of the Safavid dynasty. As Shah Ismail incorporated all the Shirvan possessions, he also inherited Derbend.


Russian conquest

Derbent in the 1980s Derbent stayed under Iranian rule, while occasionally briefly taken by the
Ottoman Turks The Ottoman Turks ( tr, Osmanlı Türkleri), were the Turkic founding and sociopolitically the most dominant ethnic group of the Ottoman Empire ( 1299/1302–1922). Reliable information about the early history of Ottoman Turks remains scarce, ...
such as in 1583 after the
Battle of Torches The Battle of Torches ( tr, Meşaleler Savaşı) was fought in 1583 during the Ottoman–Safavid War (1578–1590). The name of the battle refers to torches used during night clashes. The battle resulted in an Ottoman victory, and had thereby se ...
and the Treaty of Constantinople, till the course of the 19th century, when the Russians occupied the city and wider Iranian-ruled swaths of Dagestan. Being briefly taken by the Russians as a result of the Persian expedition of 1722–23 by
Peter the Great Peter I ( – ), most commonly known as Peter the Great,) or Pyotr Alekséyevich ( rus, Пётр Алексе́евич, p=ˈpʲɵtr ɐlʲɪˈksʲejɪvʲɪtɕ, , group=pron was a Russian monarch who ruled the Tsardom of Russia from t ...
, the 1735 Treaty of Ganja, formed by
Imperial Russia The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the List of Russian monarchs, 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 th ...
and
Safavid Iran Safavid Iran or Safavid Persia (), also referred to as the Safavid Empire, '. was one of the greatest Iranian empires after the 7th-century Muslim conquest of Persia, which was ruled from 1501 to 1736 by the Safavid dynasty. It is often conside ...
(''de facto'' ruled by
Nader Shah Nader Shah Afshar ( fa, نادر شاه افشار; also known as ''Nader Qoli Beyg'' or ''Tahmāsp Qoli Khan'' ) (August 1688 – 19 June 1747) was the founder of the Afsharid dynasty of Iran and one of the most powerful rulers in Iranian h ...
), forced Russia to return Derbent and its bastion to Iran. In 1747, Derbent became the capital of the Derbent Khanate of the same name. During the Persian Expedition of 1796, Derbent was stormed by Russian forces under General Valerian Zubov, but the Russians were forced to retreat due to internal political issues, making it fall under Persian rule again. As a consequence of the Russo-Persian War (1804-1813) and the resulting Treaty of Gulistan of 1813, Derbent and wider
Dagestan Dagestan ( ; rus, Дагеста́н, , dəɡʲɪˈstan, links=yes), officially the Republic of Dagestan (russian: Респу́блика Дагеста́н, Respúblika Dagestán, links=no), is a republic of Russia situated in the North C ...
were ceded by Qajar Iran to the Russian Empire. (For background, see Russian conquest of the Caucasus#Caspian Coast.) In the 1886 census of
Dagestan Oblast The Dagestan Oblast was a province (''oblast'') of the Caucasus Viceroyalty of the Russian Empire. It roughly corresponded to most of present-day southeastern Dagestan within the Russian Federation. The Dagestan Oblast was created in 1860 out of t ...
, as part of Russia's Caucasus Viceroyalty, people of Iranian descent (russian: link=no, персы) were still an absolute majority at 8,994 out of 15,265, or 58,9%.


Geography

The modern city is built in the North Caucasus of Eastern Europe; 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 public transport, with its own harbor, a railway going south to
Baku Baku (, ; az, Bakı ) is the capital and largest city of Azerbaijan, as well as the largest city on the Caspian Sea and of the Caucasus region. Baku is located below sea level, which makes it the lowest lying national capital in the world a ...
, and the Baku to
Rostov-on-Don Rostov-on-Don ( rus, Ростов-на-Дону, r=Rostov-na-Donu, p=rɐˈstof nə dɐˈnu) is a port city and the administrative centre of Rostov Oblast and the Southern Federal District of Russia. It lies in the southeastern part of the East Eu ...
road. 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 The Gates of Alexander were a legendary barrier supposedly built by Alexander the Great in the Caucasus to keep the uncivilized barbarians of the north (typically associated with Gog and Magog in medieval Christian and Islamic writings) from i ...
(fifty metres long), otherwise known as
Alexander's Wall The Gates of Alexander were a legendary barrier supposedly built by Alexander the Great in the Caucasus to keep the uncivilized barbarians of the north (typically associated with Gog and Magog in medieval Christian and Islamic writings) from inva ...
, blocking the narrow pass of the Iron Gate or
Caspian Gates The Gates of Alexander were a legendary barrier supposedly built by Alexander the Great in the Caucasus to keep the uncivilized barbarians of the north (typically associated with Gog and Magog in medieval Christian and Islamic writings) from i ...
(''Portae Athanae'' or ''Portae Caspiae''). When intact, the wall had a height of and a thickness of about and, with its iron gates and numerous watch-towers, defended Persia's frontier.


Climate

Derbent has a cold semi-arid climate ( Köppen climate classification ''BSk'').


Administrative and municipal status

Within the framework of administrative divisions, Derbent serves as the administrative center of
Derbentsky District Derbentsky District (russian: Дербе́нтский райо́н; lez, Дербент район; az, Дәрбәнд раjонy, italic=no, Dərbənd rayonu) is an administrativeLaw #16 and municipalLaw #6 district (raion), one of the forty ...
, even though it is not a part of it.Law #16 As an administrative division, it is incorporated separately as the
City A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be def ...
of Derbent—an administrative unit with the status equal to that of the
districts A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or counties, several municipalities, subdivisions o ...
. As a municipal division, the City of Derbent is incorporated as Derbent Urban Okrug.Law #6


Demographics

According to the 1897 census, Derbent had 14,649 inhabitants, 9,767 of whom were Tatar (later known as
Azerbaijani Azerbaijani may refer to: * Something of, or related to Azerbaijan * Azerbaijanis * Azerbaijani language See also * Azerbaijan (disambiguation) * Azeri (disambiguation) * Azerbaijani cuisine * Culture of Azerbaijan The culture of Azerbaijan ...
) speakers (66.7%) and 1,004 were Russian speakers (6.9%). In 1916, Derbent had a population of 31,168 consisting of 7,919 Shia Muslims (25.4%), 7,567 Russians (24.3%), 6,879 Jews (22.1%), 5,138 Caucasian highlanders (16.5%), 2,604 Armenians (8.4%), and 1,061
Sunni Muslims Sunni Islam () is the largest branch of Islam, followed by 85–90% of the world's Muslims. Its name comes from the word '' Sunnah'', referring to the tradition of Muhammad. The differences between Sunni and Shia Muslims arose from a disagr ...
(3.4%). According to the 2010 Census, the main ethnic groups in the city are: * Lezgins (33.7%) *
Azerbaijanis Azerbaijanis (; az, Azərbaycanlılar, ), Azeris ( az, Azərilər, ), or Azerbaijani Turks ( az, Azərbaycan Türkləri, ) are a Turkic people living mainly in northwestern Iran and the Republic of Azerbaijan. They are the second-most numer ...
(32.3%) *
Tabasarans Tabasarans are a Northeast Caucasian ethnic group native predominantly to southern part of the North Caucasian Republic of Dagestan. Their population in Russia is about 150,000. They speak the Tabasaran language. They are mainly Sunni Muslims. ...
(15.8%) *
Dargins Dargins or Dargwa (, ''darganti'') are a Northeast Caucasian native ethnic group originating in the North Caucasus, and who make up the second largest ethnic group in the North Caucasian republic of Dagestan. They speak the Dargwa language. The ...
(5.6%) * Russians (3.7%) * Aghuls (3.2%) * Jews (1.1%) *
Rutuls Rutuls, Rutulians ( rut, Мыхабыр, Mykhabyr) are a Northeast Caucasian ethnic group native to Dagestan and adjacent parts of Azerbaijan. According to the 2010 Russian Census, there were 35,240 Rutuls in Russia. In 1989 Soviet Census in A ...
(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. The Jewish traveler
Benjamin of Tudela Benjamin of Tudela ( he, בִּנְיָמִין מִטּוּדֶלָה, ; ar, بنيامين التطيلي ''Binyamin al-Tutayli'';‎ Tudela, Kingdom of Navarre, 1130 Castile, 1173) was a medieval Jewish traveler who visited Europe, Asia, an ...
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. In 1989, there were 13,000 Jews in the city, but most emigrated after the
dissolution of the Soviet Union The dissolution of the Soviet Union, also negatively connoted as rus, Разва́л Сове́тского Сою́за, r=Razvál Sovétskogo Soyúza, ''Ruining of the Soviet Union''. was the process of internal disintegration within the Sov ...
. In 2002, there were 2,000 Jews with an active synagogue and community center. The chief rabbi of Derbent, Obadiah Isakov, was badly injured in an assassination attempt on July 25, 2013, sparking concerns of further acts of
anti-Semitism Antisemitism (also spelled anti-semitism or anti-Semitism) is hostility to, prejudice towards, or discrimination against Jews. A person who holds such positions is called an antisemite. Antisemitism is considered to be a form of racism. Antis ...
targeting the Jewish community. In 2016, the Jewish population was down to 1,345.


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 Brandy is a liquor produced by distilling wine. Brandy generally contains 35–60% alcohol by volume (70–120 US proof) and is typically consumed as an after-dinner digestif. Some brandies are aged in wooden casks. Others are coloured with ...
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 () from the city is the vacation colony of Chayka (Seagull). The Soviet novelist
Yury Krymov Yury Krymov (russian: Ю́рий Кры́мов) is the pen name of Soviet novelist Yury Solomonovich Beklemishev (Ю́рий Соломо́нович Беклеми́шев; 19 January 1908 – 20 September 1941). The variants Yuri Krimov and Iu ...
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 The Judeo-Tat Theatre in Derbent, Dagestan, Russia specializes in staging plays with themes related to the lives of Mountain Jews, which are created mainly by Mountain Jews. The plays are performed in the Judeo-Tat language (Juhuri). The foundin ...


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 Sassanian Empire as a defensive structure against hostile nomadic people in the north, and continuously repaired or improved by later Arab, Mongol, Timurid, Shirvan, and Iranian kingdoms until the early course of the 19th century, as long as its military function lasted. The fortress was built under the direction of the Sassanid emperor Khosrow (Chosroes) I. 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 The Sasanian dynasty was the house that founded the Sasanian Empire, ruling this empire from 224 to 651 AD in Persia (modern-day Iran). It began with Ardashir I, who named the dynasty as ''Sasanian'' in honour of his grandfather (or father), Sasa ...
period. The city has a well-preserved citadel (Narin-kala), enclosing an area of , 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.


Mosques

*
Juma Mosque A congregational mosque or Friday mosque (, ''masjid jāmi‘'', or simply: , ''jāmi‘''; ), or sometimes great mosque or grand mosque (, ''jāmi‘ kabir''; ), is a mosque for hosting the Friday noon prayers known as ''jumu'ah''.* * * * * * * ...
is the oldest mosque in Russia and the
CIS Cis or cis- may refer to: Places * Cis, Trentino, in Italy * In Poland: ** Cis, Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship, south-central ** Cis, Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship, north Math, science and biology * cis (mathematics) (cis(''θ'')), a trigonome ...
. 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. * 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. * 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. * 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. * 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.


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. *
Cathedral of St. George the Victorious of Derbent The Cathedral of St. George the Victorious (russian: Собор Святого Георгия Победоносца) was the main Russian Orthodox Church in the city of Derbent,Kozubsky E. I. History of the city of Derbent. Temirkhan-Shura. 1906 ...
was the main Russian Orthodox Church in the city of Derbent. Demolished in 1938.


Synagogues

* The
Derbent Synagogue The Derbent Synagogue, it's also known as Kele-Numaz (russian: Дербентская синагога "Келе-Нумаз"; he, בית הכנסת דרבנט "קל-נומז") is the only synagogue in the city of Derbent, a city in the Russian ...
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

*
Kyrkhlyar The Kyrkhlyar ( az, forty) is an old and revered cemetery in the city of Derbent, a city in the Russian Republic of Dagestan. The oldest active Muslim cemetery in Russia. Description It is located less than a kilometer north of the gates of Kyrkh ...
is an old and revered cemetery established in the
7th century The 7th century is the period from 601 ( DCI) through 700 ( DCC) in accordance with the Julian calendar in the Common Era. The spread of Islam and the Muslim conquests began with the unification of Arabia by Muhammad starting in 622. After Muh ...
. It is the oldest active
Muslim Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...
cemetery in Russia.
, Sasanian commander *
Bella Nisan Bella Alexandrovna Nisan ( rus, Белла Александровна Нисан) is a Russian ophthalmologist, founder of modern methods of vision disorder correction. She is a member of the American Academy of Ophthalmology and a well-known prop ...
, ophthalmologist * Boris Gavrilov, writer and poet *
Mikhail Gavrilov Mikhail Gavrilov (9 April 1893 in Saint Petersburg, Russian Empire - 4 April 1954), professor, religious writer, historian, teacher, Russian Catholic apostolate in exile, member of the a parishioner of the Greek Catholic Church of the Annunciation i ...
, writer and poet *
Daniil Atnilov Daniil Atnilov (russian: Даниил Атнилович Атнилов, translit=; he, דניאל אטנילוב; born 1913 – 1968) was a Soviet poet of Mountain Jew origin. He wrote in a language of the Mountain Jew (Juhuri). He was a USSR ...
, poet *
Igor Yusufov Igor Khanukovich Yusufov (russian: Игорь Ханукович Юсуфов; born 12 June 1956) is a former Russian energy Minister who served during Vladimir Putin's first term as President. He is Founder and Chairman of Fund Energy ("Fond Ener ...
, politician *
Israel Tsvaygenbaum Israel Tsvaygenbaum (russian: link=no, Исраил Иосифович Цвайгенбаум; he, ישראל צווייגנבאום; born February 1, 1961), is a Russian-American artist of Jewish descent. A number of his works are in the Museu ...
, artist *
Manuvakh Dadashev Manuvakh Dadashev (russian: Манувах Мардахаевич Дадашев, translit=; he, מנוחוב דדשב; 1913–1943) was a Soviet poet of Mountain Jews, Mountain Jew origin. He wrote in a language of the Mountain Jew (Judeo-Tat, J ...
, poet *
Mishi Bakhshiev Mishi Bakhshiev (russian: Бахшиев Миши Юсупович, translit=; he, מישה בקשייב; born October 10, 1910 – 1972) was a Soviet writer and poet of Mountain Jew origin. He wrote in languages of the Mountain Jews (Juhuri) a ...
, writer and poet *
Mushail Mushailov Mushail Mushailov (russian: Мушаил Ханухович Мушаилов, he, מושאיל מושאילוב; born July 10, 1941 — January 4, 2007) was a Soviet/Russian artist and teacher of Mountain Jewish descent. He was a member of the ...
, artist and teacher *
Sergey Izgiyayev Sergey Davidovich Izgiyayev (russian: Сергей Давидович Изгияев; he, סרגיי איזגיאייב; born 24 November 1922 – 27 July 1972) was a member of the Union of Soviet Writers, the author of nine books of poetry and f ...
, poet, playwright, and translator of Mountain Jewish descent *
Sevil Novruzova Sevil Novruzova (; born c. 1977) is a lawyer and activist from Dagestan, Russia. Biography Novruzova was born in 1977(?) in Derbent. She is a lawyer and an activist, helping to retrieve people from communities in Dagestan who have tried to join t ...
, lawyer * Suleyman Kerimov, businessman, investor, and politician *
Tamara Musakhanov Tamara Nahamievna Musakhanov (russian: Тамара Нахамиевна Мусаханова; he, תמרה מסכנוב; born January 31, 1924 — February 27, 2014) was a Soviet sculptor, and ceramist of Mountain Jewish origin. Member of Un ...
, sculptor and ceramist *
Yagutil Mishiev Yagutil Israelovich Mishiev (russian: Мишиев, Ягутил Израилович; he, יאגוטיל מישייב; born March 29, 1927 in Gyrmyzy Gasaba, Azerbaijan SSR) — writer, author of books about the history of Derbent, Dagestan, ...
, writer *
Yuno Semyonov Yuno Shaulovich Semyonov (russian: Юно Шаулович Семёнов; he, ;יונו סמיונוב 1899–1961) was a Soviet Union prose writer, playwright and artistic director. He wrote in the Judeo-Tat language. His work was characterized ...
, prose writer, playwright and artistic director *
Zoya Semenduev Zoya Yunoevna Semenduyeva (russian: Зоя Юноевна Семендуева, translit=; he, זויה סמנדואב; born 20 October 1929 – 9 April 2020) was a Soviet and Israeli poet. She wrote in a language of the Mountain Jew (Juhuri). S ...
, poet


Twin towns – sister cities

Derbent is twinned with: *
Ganja Ganja (, ; ) is one of the oldest and most commonly used synonyms for marijuana. Its usage in English dates to before 1689. Etymology ''Ganja'' is borrowed from Hindi/Urdu ( hi, गांजा, links=no, ur, , links=no, IPA: aːɲd ...
, Azerbaijan * Yakima, United States * Hadera, Israel * Kronstadt, Russia


References


Notes


Sources

* * * ''Some text used with permission fro
www.travel-images.com
The original text can be found her

'' * 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

Derbent Business Directory



History of Derbent and the millennia old historical and cultural relations it has with Iran.
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