World Heritage Identification Number: 1070
World Heritage since: 2003
Category: Cultural Heritage
Transboundary Heritage: No
Endangered Heritage: No
Country: 🇷🇺 Russian Federation
Continent: Europe
UNESCO World Region: Europe and North America
Map
The Fortified City of Derbent: A Historical Gem Along the Caspian Sea
The Citadel, Ancient City, and Fortress Buildings of Derbent, located in the Republic of Dagestan, Russia, stand as a testament to the region's rich history and strategic significance. Inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2003, this ancient city offers a unique blend of architectural wonders and historical insights into the Sasanian Persian Empire's defensive network.
More to come…UNESCO Description of the World Heritage Site
The Citadel, Ancient City and Fortress Buildings of Derbent were part of the northern lines of the Sasanian Persian Empire, which extended east and west of the Caspian Sea. 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 built between these two walls, and has retained part of its medieval fabric. The site continued to be of great strategic importance until the 19th century.
UNESCO Justification of the World Heritage Site
Criterion (iii): The site of the ancient city of Derbent has been crucial for the control of the north-south passage on the west side of the Caspian Sea since the 1st millennium BCE. The defence structures that were built by the Sasanians in the 5th century CE were in continuous use by the succeeding Persian, Arabic, Mongol, and Timurid governments for some 15 centuries.
Criterion (iv): The ancient city of Derbent and its defence structures are the most significant section of the strategic defence systems designed and built in the Sasanian empire along their northern limes, and maintained during the successive governments until the Russian occupation in the 19th century.
Encyclopedia Record: Derbent
Derbent, also historically known as Darband, or Derbend, is the southernmost city in Russia. It is situated along the southeastern coast of the Republic of Dagestan, occupying the narrow gateway between the Caspian Sea and the Caucasus Mountains, and connecting the Eurasian Steppe to the north and the Iranian Plateau to the south. Derbent covers an area of 69.63 square kilometres (26.88 sq mi) with a population of roughly 120,000 residents.Additional Site Details
Area: 37.658 hectares
(iv) — Outstanding example of a type of building or landscape
Coordinates: 42.0558333333 , 48.2827777778
Image
© Аль-Гимравий, CC BY-SA 3.0 Resized from original. (This derivative is under the same CC BY-SA license.)
