National Museum of Dagestan

The National Museum of Dagestan is located in the center of Makhachkala. It is the very first museum that was established in Dagestan in 1925, on the initiative of the Commissioner of Education of Dagestan Alibek Tahodi. This museum is the main ethnographic museum of Dagestan.  

In 19 halls of the museum, there is an interesting collection on the history and culture of the republic. There are sections on paleontology, archeology, nature, ethnography and culture of Dagestan. Several halls are dedicated to the history of Dagestan in the Middle Ages and the Caucasian War (1816-1859), which the highlanders under the command of Imam Shamil waged in the mountains of Dagestan for more than 40 years. 

The most valuable exhibits of the National Museum of Dagestan are: 

*  The Sogratl Venus. A small ritual figurine of an Iron Age woman. It dates back to the 7th century BC. It was found not by archaeologists, but by local residents on a high-altitude pasture in the Andalal valley near the village of Sogratl. Scientists suggest that there was an ancient sanctuary in this place for the inhabitants of Sogratl and the Gamsutl village, which is located 3 kilometers away.  

*  Carved doors from the highland village of Kala-Koreish of the 12th century. The abandoned village of Kala-Koreish is located on the top of the sacred mountain 8 kilometers from the village of Kubachi. There are preserved buildings and a cemetery of the 12th century. 

*  Timur`s saber. On the blade of the saber, there are inscriptions in Arabic, made at different times. The first inscription that the saber was made by craftsmen from Lahore (Pakistan) in 1081. From the second inscription of 1398, one can learn that Timur, the great conqueror, the creator of a huge empire with its capital in Samarkand, owned the saber. On the third inscription of 1739, one can read that the saber was owned by Nashir Shah from Iran.  

*  Guns of the  time of tsar Peter Caspian campaign. The whole hall is dedicated to the era of the conquest of Dagestan by the Russian tsar Peter I, during his campaign in 1722. Guns of the 18th century were found at the bottom of the Caspian Sea on the City Beach of Makhachkala. The Russian army, which Tsar Peter I personally led, stopped in the village of Tarki (now the Makhachkala district), before preparing the assault on Derbent. 

*  Products of craftsmen from Kubachi village. For several centuries, the masters of coinage from Kubachi village have specialized in the manufacture of silver jewelry and weapons. There is a very valuable collection here. In the National Museum of Dagestan, you can also see ancient stone bas-reliefs with elaborate stone carvings made by craftsmen from the village of Kubachi. 

Several halls are dedicated to Imam Shamil and the events of the Caucasian War. Russian troops led by Tsar Peter I conquered Derbent in 1722, however, the mountainous regions of Dagestan maintained their de facto independence until 1816, when Russian troops under the command of General Ermolov began the Caucasian War.  

The capture of Imam Shamil took place in the village of Gunib on August 25, 1859. So ended the war, which lasted more than 40 years. The Museum has many original exhibits of that time: banners, insignia, weapons, paintings and much more.