A Burial of 915 A.H. at the Walls of Derbent

Archaeological research at the UNESCO-listed Citadel, Ancient City and Fortress Buildings of Derbent has uncovered a 16th-century Muslim grave, dated to 915 A.H. (1509-10 A.D.), bearing an epitaph that identifies the deceased as Shah Vali b. Shaqil, a figure posthumously honored with the title 'happy martyr' (šahīd al-sa‘īd). The grave's date coincides with the siege of Derbent by Shah Ismail Safavi's forces, offering new historical insight into the region's turbulent period. The study, published in Iran and the Caucasus, relies on epigraphic analysis to reconstruct this moment in Derbent's history.

Gadjiev, M. (2019). A Burial of 915 A.H. at the Walls of Derbent. Iran and the Caucasus, 23(2), 139–144. https://doi.org/10.1163/1573384x-20190202