Most interesting attractions of Dagestan

In 2020 Dagestan became one of the most popular destinations of domestic tourism in Russia. The natural and historical sights of Dagestan are magnificent. Independent travel even in the most remote villages is absolutely safe. On the contrary, there you will see such hospitality, which is no longer available in other regions.

In this review on the Geomerid online travel guide, we offer you to read about the most interesting sights of Dagestan:

1. Sulak Canyon
2. Derbent
3. Gamsutl ghost village
4. Gunib village
5. Sarykum dune
6. Chokh village
7. Mountain terraces of Dagestan
8. Saltinsky waterfall
9. Old Goor village
10. Tobot Waterfall

1.    Sulak Canyon

Sulak Canyon is the deepest in Russia and one of the deepest in the world. To visit it, you need to allocate a whole day. There are several viewing platforms on the side of the village of Dubki. If you want to see the canyon from the south side, as well as ride a boat along the rapid flow of the Sulak River, then you need to go there with an excursion.

Sulak Canyon is located between the Salatau mountain ridge and the Gimrinsky ridge. The maximum depth of the canyon reaches 1920 meters, and on average its depth ranges from 1300 meters. Sulak Canyon is one of the Top10 deepest canyons in the world. Since Dagestan geographically belongs to Europe, the canyon can be called the deepest in Europe. Sometimes the deepest canyon in Europe is called the Canyon of the Tara River in Montenegro. However, its maximum depth is only 1300 meters.

On average, the width of the Sulak Canyon is 3.5 kilometers, but in some places it narrows to several hundred meters. In the narrowest place of the Sulak Canyon, the Chirkeyskaya hydroelectric power station was built in 1963. It is the highest and most powerful hydroelectric power station in the Sulak cascade of hydroelectric power plants. At the top of the dam, its width is 300 meters.

Sulak Canyon is located 75 kilometers from Makhachkala. If you want to go boating in the canyon, then it is better to go to the canyon from the side of city of Buinaksk. First, make a stop near the Chirkeyskoye water reservoir, and then visit the main viewing platforms near the hydroelectric power station and in the village of Dubki. After that, you can go to the Glavryba restaurant.

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2.    Derbent

Derbent is the oldest city in Russia, at the same time; it is one of the most beautiful cities in the Caucasus. Many tourists consider Dagestan as an opportunity to travel to the mountains, but the historical sights of Derbent are of no less interest. Derbent is also developing as a resort on the shores of the Caspian Sea.

Derbent is a picturesque Caucasian city. It's not just about its attractions, but about the general atmosphere on the narrow streets of the old quarters. The Naryn-Kala fortress, the fortress walls and the Juma Mosque were built in the 6th-8th centuries. The mosque and the fortress are the oldest in Russia. In 2003, they were included in the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage List.

Almost all tourists begin their acquaintance with the sights of Derbent from the Naryn-Kala fortress, which towers over the city and locks the "Caspian Gate". The Naryn-Kala fortress, which has survived to this day, was built in the 6th century AD. This is the oldest fortress in Russia. 

At the same time, the Fortress walls of Derbent (North and South) were built. At a distance of 300-350 meters from each other, they descend from the hill in parallel and stretch for 3.5 kilometers to the Caspian Sea. The northern wall of the 6th century has survived to the present day without alterations.

Magaly (microdistricts) of old Derbent is a maze of narrow streets. The oldest mosque in Russia, the Juma Mosque, is also located here. It was built in 733, a century after the advent of Islam in the Arabian Peninsula. Next to the mosque there is an interesting museum of Maiden baths. 

In recent years, Derbent has been actively developing a tourist infrastructure and a comfortable urban space. In the north of the city, a well-maintained Breeze beach was opened. In front of it the Derbent Embankment was built. The recreation area was formed in Nizami Ganjavi Park and Suleiman Stalsky Park. Nearby is the pedestrian lane of Mirza Kazi-Bek, which was called "The Street of Happy People".

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3.    Gamsutl ghost-village

The abandoned village of Gamsutl is one of the most interesting attraction of Dagestan. This village is located at an altitude of 1418 meters on the right slope of the picturesque Andalal valley. The village itself is sandwiched between two rocky hills. In guidebooks, it is often called "Dagestan Machu Picchu". There are some similarities between them, but the beauty of Gamsutl is self-sufficient and there is no reason to compare it to someone. 

Translated into Avar, the word Gamsutl means "At the foot of the Khan`s tower" or "The Fortress of the king". According to historians, the village of Gamsutl was founded more than two thousand years ago. This conclusion was made on the basis of studies of tombstones in the local cemetery. One of them had inscriptions in the ancient Iranian language. This tombstone was sent to Iran and after research, archaeologists reported that this tombstone is more than 2 thousand years old.  

Perhaps the time of its foundation is close to Derbent, which was founded in the 4th century BC. Thus, Gamsutl is one of the oldest settlements in Dagestan and has exceptional historical and cultural value. 

Gamsutl ghost-village itself is located between two rocky peaks. One of them was called "Rock Tooth". At the top of another peak, there may have been a "Khan`s Palace", and around it were the houses of his entourage. 

All the houses were built of local sandstone. At first, you can walk along the left slope of the mountain to climb the main rock, where the khan`s fortress was. It offers a beautiful view of the Andalal gorge. On the opposite slope, also on the upper part of the gorge, the alpine Village of Chokh is visible.  

After that, you can walk along the right side of the village. In the depths is the house of the last resident of Gamsutl, Abdulzhalil Abdulzhalilov. His house stands out from among the others, as it is completely preserved. The rest of the houses are in ruins. Many of them have preserved beautiful arches. 

After that, you need to go back through the big arch to the entrance to the village and climb to the Tooth Rock. It offers that classic view of Gamsutl and the Andalal Valley, thanks to which it was called "Dagestan Machu Picchu".

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4.    Gunib village

Gunib village is one of the most interesting places and travel attraction in Mountainous Dagestan. In addition to the incredibly beautiful mountain landscapes, there are historical sights associated with the events of the Caucasian War and the capture of Imam Shamil. There are many hotels in Gunib village. Therefore, it can be a starting point for excursions in the surrounding area. 

Dagestanis say: "Whoever has not visited Gunib has not been to Dagestan." Gunib Village is sometimes called a "Natural fortress". It is located on the slope of the Gunib plateau. Part of the village, which is called Lower Gunib, is located on a flat ledge of this plateau, but a significant part of the houses are located on a very steep slope. In some places, the rocky slopes are steep. The only road that runs along these houses up to the plateau is a very steep serpentine with a lot of bends. 

The Gunib Fortress is the main historical attraction of the village of Gunib. Its construction began immediately after the capture of Imam Shamil in Gunib in 1859 and the end of the 40-year Caucasian War. The Russian governor decided to make Gunib a main base in mountainous Dagestan. The local Avar population was evicted, and a powerful fortress was built in Gunib. There is a Museum of Local Lore in Lower Gunib, where you can get to know the events of the Caucasian War more closely.  

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5.    Sarykum dune

The Sarykum dune is the highest sand dune in Europe. It is located 18 kilometers northwest of Makhachkala. It is most convenient to combine a visit to the Sarykum dune with a trip to the Sulak Canyon.

Translated from the Turkic language, Sarykum means "yellow sand". The Sarykum dune is motionless. This is a rather unique case for a dune of this height. The height of the Sarykum Dune ranges from 240 to 262 meters. In the Sahara or on the Arabian Peninsula, such a height of moving dunes is not something unique, because there the wind constantly carries tons of sand. The highest dune in the world "Big Daddy" is located in the Namib desert. Its height is 325 meters, so the height of the Sarykum Dune at 262 meters can also be considered significant.

Scientists could not explain how a high sand dune could appear on a mountain plateau overgrown with trees. There is a version that sand for the dune appeared due to the destruction of mountains consisting of sandstone.  

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6.    Chokh village

The highland village Chokh is located on the eastern slope of the Andalal Valley, at an altitude of 1688 meters above sea level. Many tourists call it the most beautiful mountain village of Dagestan. It has a stepped structure on a steep mountainside. The roofs of the lower houses are at the level of the foundations of the upper houses. The village of Chokh looks like a medieval settlement. 

Chokh is called one of the oldest settlements in Dagestan, founded about two thousand years ago. The camp of ancient people in this place was in Neolithic times. On the opposite slope of the Andalal Valley, there is an abandoned Gamsutl ghost-village, which is one of the most interesting sights of Dagestan. It was also founded more than 2 thousand years ago. It is convenient to combine visits to Chokh and Gamsutl villages into one excursion. 

The houses of the village of Chokh fit very nicely into the landscape of the surrounding mountains. From the windows of the houses of the village of Chokh there is a beautiful view of the Andalal valley and the mountain terraces of Dagestan, which were used for farming more than 2 thousand years ago. Some mountain peaks in the vicinity of Chokh are covered with snow even in summer. 

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7.    Mountain terraces of Dagestan

The mountain terraces of Dagestan, which have been built by people for several thousand years ago, are one of the interesting sights of the region. The largest number of terraces in Dagestan has been preserved in the Gunib and Dadakhan districts. They are located on the slopes of mountain ranges. 

The mountain terraces of Bali, China, Peru and other regions of Southeast Asia and Latin America are known all over the world. In some countries, mountain terraces are UNESCO Cultural Heritage sites. In Dagestan, mountain terraces occupy more than 150 thousand hectares. They are located in very picturesque areas of the Caucasus Mountains, but so far they do not have not only world fame, but even recognition as a attraction of Dagestan.

If you want to see the terraces of Dagestan, then the easiest way to do it is in the Gunib district near the Village of Chokh or in the Dadakhan district near the village of Kubachi. In some sources, there are references to evidence of the construction of mountain terraces in Dagestan during the Soviet period, when the creation of collective farms began in 1930-40.

Allegedly, the terraces were erected by bulldozers, which cut through the buttresses in the rock. Perhaps single terraces on gentle slopes near large settlements could be erected by bulldozers. However, there is no question that mountain terraces in Dagestan could be built by bulldozers on steep slopes in remote mountainous areas. There are no roads even for light vehicles, and it is absolutely impossible to deliver bulldozers to such high mountain slopes. 

There are versions of scientists that terraces in the Caucasus belong to the period of the Maykop culture. It is named after the Mound located near the city of Maykop. Excavations were carried out there in 1898 and for the first time evidence of an ancient culture, spread from 4 thousand BC to the Scythian period was discovered. This archaeological culture was spread throughout the Caucasus, from Taman to Dagestan. 

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8.    Saltinsky Waterfall

The Saltinsky waterfall is one of the most unusual attraction of Dagestan. Sometimes it is called "underground waterfall". In order to see the Saltinsky Waterfall, you need to walk along the narrow canyon of the Saltinka River, and then go into the vast grotto. 

The Saltinsky gorge is located on the outskirts of the village of Salta, 20 kilometers from the village of Gunib. At first, the width of the canyon reaches 40 meters. To see the waterfall, you need to walk along this canyon for about 500 meters. Gradually, the canyon narrows and at the entrance to the grotto its width is no more than 2 meters, while the sheer walls go up several tens of meters.

At the entrance to the grotto from the Saltinsky gorge, tourists have to climb over the stones, holding on to a rope. This is the most difficult part of the excursion and during heavy rainfall it can be quite slippery here. Sometimes there is a lot of water here, so it will not work to pass without soaking your shoes. 

The height of the Saltinsky waterfall is 20 meters. The waterfall is abundant during the active melting of snow in the mountains, which begins in May-June or after the rains. The rest of the time, only small streams of water are visible in the grotto. In arid times, the Saltinka River dries up, and you will not be able to admire the "underground waterfall".

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9.    Old Goor village

The tower complex of the village of Old Goor is one of the most interesting attraction of Mountainous Dagestan. It is located on the top of a mountain near a rocky cliff, at an altitude of 1500 meters above sea level. It is worth coming here to see beautiful mountain landscapes and take photos in the "Troll’s Tongue".  

It is best to plan a whole day to explore all the sights of Old Goor and Old Kahib. This will give you the opportunity to take a walk around the neighborhood. In Old Goor you will see watchtowers and beautiful mountain landscapes. The village of Old Kahib is located just below in the valley. There are no beautiful views, but the ruins of the houses are better preserved.  

Old Goor was once a fortified mountain village. It was inhabited by seven families who built seven battle towers. Houses and outbuildings were located around them. Some of them are located directly at the edge of a rocky cliff. The time of construction of these towers dates back to the 16th-17th century. In the masonry walls there are stones with petroglyphs and patterns that may belong to the pre-Islamic period. Such combat towers were very common in Ingushetia and Ossetia, partly in Chechnya. There are almost none in Dagestan.  

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10.    Tobot Waterfall

Tobot Waterfall is the highest waterfall in Dagestan and one of the highest in the Caucasus. It is very interesting nature attraction of Dagestan. This waterfall is also called Hunzakhsky, after the name of the village where it is located. The height of the Tobot waterfall reaches 70 meters. Like all the waterfalls of Dagestan, it feeds on melting snow in the mountains, so the Tobot waterfall is full-flowing only in spring.  

The Tobot Waterfall consists of three branches of the river of the same name, which falls into a crevice of a mountain plateau. The main stream is quite powerful, the second stream is significantly smaller and is located several dozen meters away from the side. The third stream is noticeable only in spring. At other times, it dries up.  

The cleft of the mountain plateau near Khunzakh is no less impressive than the waterfall itself. When you go to the village of Khunzakh from Makhachkala, the road is constantly going up. After the fork at the Gunib HPP, in some places the road has a dirt surface. At first, the road goes among the rocky mountains, but the village of Khunzakh itself is located on a flat mountain plateau. There are no high mountains here, although the altitude above sea level reaches 2000 meters. The size of the Khunzakh mountain plateau is 10 km by 25 km. 

The upper part of the plateau is very flat. The cleft is a sheer cliff of several tens of meters, which turns into cone-shaped scree. Viewing platforms are located on both sides of the mountain plateau. The most beautiful photos from both sites are possible in the morning when the waterfall is fully illuminated. After lunch, the waterfall is in the shade. 

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