In Russia's Caucasus, the ancient city of Derbent has guarded the Caspian corridor for nearly 3,000 years. Medieval writers linked its massive fortifications to Gog and Magog legends, mapping these legends onto real fortifications that repelled Huns, Turks, and Mongols. The UNESCO-protected gates still stand today as testament to this strategic gateway between the Caucasus Mountains and Caspian Sea.
Derbent Gates: Ancient Fortifications Linked to Alexander Myth
RussiaArchitecture
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Key facts
- Derbent fortifications in southern Russia straddle the 3km corridor between Caucasus Mountains and Caspian Sea
- City inhabited since at least 800 BCE, remained northern limit of empires for nearly 2000 years
- Sasanian Empire built one of largest defensive systems outside China
- Medieval writers mapped Gog and Magog legends onto real fortifications that repelled Huns, Turks, and Mongols
- UNESCO-protected gates still stand today; Alexander likely did not build them
- Romans paid tributes of gold to support the defenses
Sources
Citadel, Ancient City and Fortress Buildings of Derbentwhc.unesco.org
The fortification was built in stone. It consisted of two parallel walls that formed a barrier from the seashore up to the mountain. The town of Derbent was ...
The most ANCIENT city in Russia (PHOTOS)rbth.com
Records say the city of Derbent's walls appeared on the shores of the Caspean Sea almost 2,000 years ago. The Russian Academy of Sciences ...
Fortifications of Derbent - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org
The Fortifications of Derbent (Darband) are one of the fortified defense lines, some of which date to the times as early as those built by the Persian Sasanian ...
Fortifications of Derbent - Grokipediagrokipedia.com
The primary purpose of these fortifications was to secure the Sasanian Empire's northern border against invasions by nomadic tribes from the Caucasus and ...
Derbent - World History Encyclopediaworldhistory.org
Derbent prospered for over 1,500 years under Persian, Arab, Turkish, Azeri, Mongol, Timurid, and Russian rule due to its position on the Silk ...
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