The Kurtatinsky (Fiagdon) gorge is one of the longest in North Ossetia. Its lower part begins near the village of Dzuarikau and stretches for 50 kilometers to the village of Upper Fiagdon. There are a large number of historical monuments of North Ossetia in the gorge, so you should definitely come to Upper Fiagdon.
The wide Kurtatinsky gorge was broken through the mountain range by the Fiagdon River. In the upper reaches, through the Kurtatinsky pass (3287 m), you can enter the territory of South Ossetia. The top of Mount Tepli (4431 m) rises above the pass from the west, and the top of Mount Kazbek (5054 m), which is a symbol of Georgia, is visible from the east. The Kurtatinsky pass is relatively low, but from the northern side it is difficult to access by transport. You can only walk.
In ancient times, the lands of North Ossetia were inhabited by tribes of Alans. They had no written language, so it is difficult to trace the history of the Alan people. In 1221, the Mongol-Tatar army led by the military commanders Jebe and Sudebey came to the lands of the North Caucasus from the south. They agreed with the Khan of Derbent to pass peacefully through the impregnable Narynkala Fortress. However, in the North Caucasus they started a war with Georgians and Alans.
The Alans defended themselves very bravely. In the first battle they defeated the Mongols, but they bribed the Polovtsians. At the decisive moment of the second battle, the Polovtsians left the Alan army, and they were defeated. The surviving Alans were forced to move from the plains to the mountain gorges. One of the Alan tribes gave rise to the Ossetian people.
Ossetians settled the Kurtatinsky gorge in the Middle Ages. A narrow entrance in the site of the Dzivgis Fortress allowed defending the gorge with small forces, and a wide valley in the depths of the gorge allowed farming and cattle breeding. Therefore, in the Kurtatinsky gorge, and in other gorges adjacent to it, there are many ruins of ancient buildings.
Sights of the Kurtatinsky gorge
The sights of the Kurtatinsky gorge are located on a small stretch of 10 kilometers between the Kadargavan canyon and the village of Hidikus. From the village of Dzuarikau, at a distance of 20 kilometers, the road passes into the gorge, but there are no interesting places there.
In the Kadargavan Canyon, the Fiagdon River has made a narrow passage. The width of the canyon in some places is about 5 meters, and the height reaches 60 meters. There is a "Miracle Trail" in this place, from which you can see the canyon and beautiful views of the Kurtatinsky gorge.
2 kilometers to the south is the village of Dzivgis. In this place you have to make a stop to see the ancient Ossetian Fortress Dzivgis, which is built into the mountain slope. This fortress was a key point of defense of the gorge from the invasion of enemy troops.
5 kilometers south of the Dzivgis fortress is the largest village in the Kurtatinsky gorge, Upper Fiagdon. There are many hotels and guest houses where you can stay for a few days to drive around the neighborhood. In the village of Hidikus, south of the Upper Fiagdon, there is an Alan monastery. This is the highest mountain monastery in Russia. If you go further south, then behind the village of Harisjin there is an ancient Women`s Sanctuary of Mada Mairam. On its territory there is a small Christian chapel of the Icon of the Iver-Mozdok Virgin Mary.
On the western bank of the Fiagdon River, on a hill above the Upper Fiagdon, there is an ancient Village of Tsmiti. There are houses where people still live, but most of the houses are abandoned. In Tsmiti, you can see many combat and residential towers, as well as the ruins of fortified walls. Above them is an ancient necropolis. Similar necropolises can be seen in the City of the Dead Dargavs and in the Village of Eltyubyu of the Chegem Gorge.
Near the Upper Fiagdon, the road to the Dargavs Gorge begins. At the very beginning there is a viewing point near the ancient tower of Kurt and Tag brothers. Further along this road you have to visit the City of the Dead Dargavs (15 km away). From Dargavs, 7 km to the south are the Midagrabinsky waterfalls. The Karmadon Gorge is located 9 kilometers east of Dargavs.
