Dzivgis Fortress in Kurtatinsky gorge

Dzivgis Fortress is located approximately in the middle of the Kurtatinsky gorge (its total length is 50 km). There are many historical and natural monuments of North Ossetia in this gorge. The medieval fortress of Dzivgis is one of them. 

Sometimes Dzivgis fortress is called one of the most powerful in the Caucasus. Of course, this is an exaggeration, but for Ossetians its historical significance is enormous, since the fortress built in the 13th century allowed the Alans to defend themselves from the Mongol-Tatar military detachments and survive as a people. The Alans are known to be the progenitors of the Ossetian people. 

The state of the Alans, led by the tsars, existed on these lands from the 9th century to 1230. It was an ally of the Georgian Kingdom. In the 10th century, the Alans adopted Christianity. In 1221, the Mongol-Tatar army led by the military commanders Jebe and Sudebey invaded the lands of Georgia from the south. They agreed with the Khan of Derbent that he would let them through the narrow passage at the Narynkala Fortress without a fight. However, the Mongols started a bloody war with the Georgians. Having subdued the Georgians, they came to the lands of the Alans. They defended themselves bravely and won the first battle. But before the second battle, the Mongols bribed the Polovtsians. They left the Alan army at the crucial moment, and it was destroyed. 

In the 1230s, the Alan state ceased to exist. They were forced to move to the high mountain gorges. One of the main places of residence was the Kurtatinsky gorge. Having mixed with other Caucasian tribes, the Alans became the progenitors of the Ossetians. 

Dzivgis Fortress was built in the 1250s, when the question of survival of the Alans was most acute. This fortress is small and it completely merges with the mountain slope. At the same time, Dzivgis is located in a strategically important place and blocks the passage deep into the Kurtatinsky gorge.  

Dzivgis fortress is called a rock fortress, since it is actually built into the mountain slope. There are several natural caves in this place, which the Alans laid with masonry. The largest cave rises 15 meters above the ground, and several smaller ones are even higher on the left side.  

In the lower fortress of Dzivgis, you can climb and enter the medieval grottoes to see the conditions how the Alans fought. This fortress has withstood many sieges, including the siege of Shah Abbas, who destroyed many Georgian cities in the 17th century, including Tbilisi.