Naryn-Kala Fortress

About this place

Naryn-Kala Fortress is an old citadel from before the Arab conquest, part of the Derbent fortifications on the UNESCO list. It stands on the hill closest to the Caspian Sea, in the city of Derbent in Dagestan. Arabs knew the place as Bab al-Abwab, the Gate of Gates, and the city often appears in Arabic books of geography and history, on the route of the early conquests. The fortress was built to close the Caspian pass towards Persia. Two parallel walls, 350 to 450 metres apart, linked it to the sea, with the medieval city between them. To the west the Mountain Wall ran for 40 km to stop anyone getting around by the valleys. Later rulers rebuilt and updated it, so its history can be read in the layers of building, like the rings of a tree. The citadel covers 4.5 hectares in an irregular shape, about 255 metres long and 180 wide, within high yellow stone walls with small towers. Inside are the long-fronted Khan's office, stone arcades, old cannon, baths, the ruins of the Shah's palace and water cisterns. From the walls you see the old town and the city stretching out to the blue of the sea. Grozny is about 254 km away in a straight line. The climb to the fortress is steep through the lanes of the old town, so take a taxi if you like and wear comfortable shoes. Below are the old Magal quarters and the Juma Mosque, so ask about them. Summers are hot, so choose early morning. The UK Foreign Office advises against all travel to Russia, and non-Russian bank cards may not work, so read the current advice before you plan.