Автор: Нохов Михаил Магомедович Должность: учитель английского языка Учебное заведение: МКОУ Гимназия № 1 Населённый пункт: г. Хасавюрт, республика Дагестан Наименование материала: презентация Тема: Dagestan- the Land of Myths and Legends Раздел: полное образование
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different heavenly bodies and meteors.
There preserved oaths to the “Heavens
which are above us”, “to the Land”, “to
the Sun”, “to the Moon”, “to the Star”,
which are sure to be the relics of the
pagan religions as according to the
canons of Islam one can swear only by
the name of the Allah. Pretty girls were
compared with the Sun, the Moon, the
Stars and the Heaven – “As beautiful as
the Sun”, “Moonfaced”.
People believed that the treasure was
hidden in the place where the ends of
the rainbow were. The grown ups sent
the girls there to look for golden
scissors. Some marks were connected
with the colors of the rainbow.
In spite of centuries-old influence of ideology
and culture of monotheistic religions (first
Christianity then, starting from the XVIII
century Islam) there have preserved a lot of
pagan characters of the former pantheon in
home life and culture of the villagers of the
mountainous village of Tzada which is
situated in Khoonzakh region. The oldest
pagan Gods were the personified : the Sky,
the Earth,
If the red color prevailed in the rainbow that meant that the summer would
be droughty, the blue color meant that there would be heavy rainstorms, the
green meant a good harvest.
Up till now people believe that if you set a wish when the rainbow appears
in the sky it will come true. If the rainbow is spread above somebody’s
house all the sins of its inhabitants will be forgiven.
“Mother wind” personified the wind for the Tzadies. The people believed
that there was “The Mother wind, a woman with long flowing hair inside the
hurricane, who usually tries to saddle the windy horse and ride to the sky
on it. By the way if there was a tornado or whirlwind they would also say that
it was a dragon who was going out of the earth and trying to reach the sky.
More over they scared the children saying :”Mother wind is coming. Quickly
run home –she is angry”. In spite of the damage brought by the strong wind
they didn’t scold it but took as God’s prescription. The wind was considered
to take away all misfortunes and troubles.
The old women seeing the beginning of the strong wind would always say
“to the good” or “to the happiness”. They addressed the God with the
following words: “Oh, Allah, give patience to the wind which obeys your will”.
The lighting was fancied as a flying fire ax. They believed that they could
find a gold ax in the place where the lightning stroke.
“The Rainy donkey” was a personified God of Rain who was usually
performed by a masked boy in the custom of calling the rain. He was
decorated with bushes branches in the form of a hut tied with the rope. He
was going from house to house accompanied by the children and teenagers
where the people poured water on him and gave the accompanying crowd
different kind of cereals. After they visited all the houses in the center of the
village they went to a roads crossing or to the nearest spring, made a fire
and cooked the ritual porridge from all the cereals they had been given. All
the passers by and the participants of the ritual tasted it. In the evening the
grown ups organized a collective praying where they mentioned Allah’s
name from whom they asked the rain.
Dyurk.
Worshiping of the mountains – is a
widely spread phenomenon, which
derives its roots from pre-
monotheistic religions. The
Tabasarans (nation in the
Caucasus) consider the
mountainous cave Dyurk which is
situated near the village of Khustil
the most esteemed and sacred
place.
Many famous scientists and writers
wrote about this cave. There is a
poem devoted to it written by
Dagestan poet Abumuslim Dzhafarov.
The cave is shrouded in the mist of
mysteries and there are many
legends about it. . Some legends say
that the cave was the place of living
of the ancient people . Other legends
say that the sword of the first
spreader of Islam in the Southern
Dagestan – Arabian military leader
Masalama is still kept there.
According to the old residents the
people called “the erellers” lived in it
and only godly people could go there
as the others hadn’t been able to
come as the rocks at the entrance to
the cave would usually close in and
crush them.
They say that previously the cave consisted of seven living quarters situated
one above another. Up till now only two have preserved, the rest were filled
with the stones during the earthquakes which are very often there. The floors
are covered with thick layer of carpets and rugs brought by the pilgrims. The
kerosene lamps standing in the corners of the cave illuminate it. You can get
into the other room using a narrow staircase. According to the local people’s
words if you listen attentively you can hear the roaring of the river flowing
beneath the cave. The cave has got one more peculiarity: sometimes in a
calm weather it starts roaring and the roar is heard in the far away villages.
On hearing it the people say that the cave demands sacrificing. And they
really sacrificed to propitiate the spirit of the cave.
Even now the Dyurk is a sacred place for the people not only in Dagestan but
in the neighboring Azerbaijan too. People come here to pray and ask for
recovering of their close people, the sterile women pray for becoming
mothers, etc. During the disasters – a long drought or heavy rainfalls
earthquakes and hails, people come here and pray in large groups. They
perform the Muslim ceremony, the so called “Zikr”, kill the sacrificial bull and
distribute charity. People bring the carpets, rugs and kerchiefs as presents to
the cave.
Bai-Tobe
To the East from the village of Aksai in
Khasavyurt region there is a small hill Bai-
Tobe (a rich hill in Turkish languages). The
name of this hill attracts attention of local
adventures. The local teacher found out
that there was a manuscript in the
neighboring village of Chagarotar in which
there was some information about the hill.
He visited the owner of the book but the
latter said that he would give him the book
in exchange for the cow. On hearing this,
the teacher decided to get the book at all
costs and finally the book had become his
property.
The book written in Arabic language
said: “ Once upon a time there lived
two brothers. The younger brother
owned the land in Bai Tobe and the
elder one in Karanagai steppe. The
young brother’s wife gave birth to a
son. He informed his elder brother
about this happy event. The elder
brother hurried to Dagestan to
participate in the feast. He took
horses, sheep, and valuable things as
presents. There was a gold cradle for
a newly delivered baby among those
things. But as soon as the brother
arrived the baby died. He was buried
in a gold cradle. That’s why the hill got
the name Bai-Tobe”.
The teacher excavated the hill from
top to bottom. He found the cradle but
it was not made of gold. He found a lot
of horns, bridles, and other objects but
they were not of great interest to him.
Shalbuzdag
Shalbuzdag is the main natural place of
interest in Dagestan. This is one of the
highest mountain picks in the South–
east part of the main Caucasian
mountain ridge. It is 4142 meters higher
sea level. There are several versions of
the origin of this name. According to one
of them - Shalbuzdag is a Turkish word
which means Shalbus mountain.
The legend says Shalbus was a name of
Nadirshah’s much beloved wife, that’s
why the mountain got its name. The
scientists dealing with place-name study
prefer another version: the word Shalbus
stands in one row with the ancient place
names with the root “Alp, Alb). You can
meet it in the name of the ancient
Caucasian state of Albania, the name of
the mountain Alprus (Elbrus).
In comparison with other highest peaks
in Dagestan Shalbuzdag stands by itself,
being a lonely pyramid crowned with a
battlement. Thanks to such position
Shalbuzdag makes an impression of
being the highest mountain peak in the
Southern part of Dagestan, though the
neighboring peaks Bazardyuzyu and
Shahdag are higher.
From the top of the mountain you can see a wonderful panorama of the
Eastern part of the Main Caucasian ridge. In clear weather one can see the
icy caps of Bazardyuzyu, Shahdag, Bogoss mountain range, Dyulydag and
other peaks. At the bottom of the mountain in the valley of the Samur river
there are numerous mountainous villages, surrounded by beautiful gardens
and in the distance you can see the blue line of the Caspian Sea.
The mountain slopes are covered with alpine and subalpine meadows.
There are lots of different beautiful flowers of all colors here. For example:
the blue-bonnets are white here, the lilies are yellow, the violets are light
blue, and the camomiles are pink. Such flowers as rhododendrons,
saxifrages, and buttercups have bright flowers too.
The highest mountainous village in Europe Kurush (2560 meters above the
sea level) is situated on one of the mountain slopes.
Still in ancient times people went on pilgrimage to the mountain peak.
During the last thousand years this pilgrimage has become part of the local
Muslim religious ritual. Shalbuzdag has become one of the most important
natural sacred places for the Muslims of the whole world.
Edighe
There is a village of Edighe in a
steppe Dagestan. It bears the
name of Nogai national hero, the
legends of whose heroic deeds are
spread from one generation to
another. One of them is the
following: The last powerful khan of
the Golden Horde, whose name
was Taktamysh, was famous for his
hunting falcons, which jaundiced of
his neighbors.
The lame Timur had wanted to get
the falcons’ posterity for a long time
and made a secret agreement with
the khan’s falconer Kutly-kaya, who
sold him secretly one falcon egg.
Once the both khans went hunting.
Timur’s young falcon was much
quicker in getting the prey.
Taktamysh, having understood the
reason of his failure, ordered to
chase away Kutly-kaya from his
khanate.
He went to live in thick forests but
secretly returned to his homeland
many years later with his son
Edighe. The boy grew up strong,
clever, and brave.
Taktamysh gave him the job as a horse-herd, but having learnt whose son
the boy was told his men to kill him. But luckily Edighe managed to run
away from the khan’s palace.
To escape Taktamysh’s anger Edighe and his nine friends decided to run to
Timur’s khanate. On their way they met Alyp-batyr with his army that was
coming back to their homeland after their raid on Timur’s territory. They had
Timur’s daughter Akbilek as a captive. Using his strength and ruse Edighe
gained a victory over Alyp –Batyr, set free his army and having taken the
daughter of the lame man went on his way. Timur was very glad that his
daughter returned home and let Edighe marry her.
Fifteen years passed. During this period Edighe learnt the art of waging war,
how to rule the khanate, keep a large house, and brought up his son
Nuradin. Once when the boy won chuck-a-luck game he was insulted by his
opponent who told him: “You play chuck-a-luck very well, but I wonder if you
will be able to revenge Taktamysh -khan upon your father?” Nuradin told his
father Edighe about this conversation. They began to muster a troop. Timur
helped them too.
And soon they started on their way. When they reached the Edil (the Volga)
river the father and the son got off the horses to kiss their native white
steppe dust. On hearing about the approach of Edighe and his son’s army
old Taktamysh got very frightened and escaped from his palace.
The son decided to follow the fugitive, and Edighe returned to his hometown Sarai
which had been ruined and robbed by the enemies while the khan was away.
Edighe punished the offenders, built a new town, raised a strong army, formed the
Nogai Horde – the state with exactly defined borders.
Some time passed and Nurudin returned to Sarai and brought Taktamysh–khan’s
head. But evil people caused a quarrel between the father and the son. Then
Edighe left the town and his son became the ruler of the khanate. It was difficult for
the boy to rule the khanate as he lacked his father’s wisdom and living experience.
He began to look for his father to apologize. Edighe excused the boy but refused to
come back to Sarai point blank.
Meanwhile Kadyr-Berdy- the son of the diseased Taktamysh–khan raised his army
and unleashed the war against Nurudin to revenge upon his father. Using his ruse
Kadyr-Berdy killed Nurudin and took the thrown. But one thought that Edighe was
still alive tortured him. He went to look for him with his army, found him and called
him for an honest battle and they began to fight. Edighe managed to kill his enemy
with the club but he was severely wounded himself. Takhtamysh’s alliances Baryn-
murza and Shirin-murza meanly attacked the bleeding courageous hero, stabbed
their daggers into the body, killed him and cut off his head.
This great loss united the Nogai people, with whom even the most powerful armies
were afraid to fight for many years. The memory about the fearless hero Edighe
lives in the heart of every Nogai man. And every year there are usually lots of
poppies in the field where the battle was.
Amuzghy
The mountain village of metal
craftsmen which is difficult of
access is mentioned for the first
time in the papers in the XII
century. Damask steel daggers and
swords Amuzghy lies in ruins
nowadays and only the tourists,
the photographers and the
archeologists sometimes bother
the majestic calmness of this
“eagle’s nest”.
There was time when Amuzghy
was part of the medieval state
Zerihgeran. The craftsmen of
Amuzghy drained and hammered
the famous Damask steel from
which they made the blades for
daggers, swords and sabers. And
the craftsmen from the
neighboring village of Kubachy
mage the handles and sheath for
them and decorated them with
engravings and cutting. People
say that Chingiskhan, Tamerlane,
Nadirshakh, Napoleon, Alexander
I, and Imam Shamil possessed
their blades.
Vatzilu
The sacred Luck mountain Vatzilu is
situated in the surroundings of the
village Khury. According to the legend
only sinless people can pass through a
very narrow passage between the two
rocks situated very close to each other
on the top of Vatzilu. Sterile woman
who manage to pass through the
stones on Vatzilu can pray to the God
and ask him to give them a chance to
give birth to a baby and these prays are
usually successful.
For a long period of time the mountain has
been a place of praying to God for the rain,
the sacrificing took place here, the great
peoples’ feasts were celebrated here.
The great Russian scientist L.I. Lavrov
thinks that the name of the mountain is
derived from the Ossetia name Uatzille to
whom both Lucks and Osetians prayed
during the droughts and other unfavorable
for the agriculture events. In it’s turn
Uatzula is associated by the scientists with
the Saint Ilea who rides the fire chariot
across the sky, and who changed the
pagan god Thunderer Perunus. But the
people’s legends connect the mountain
with the myth about the hercules Barhhu,
who was in love with Perry. Perry asked
him to make a sea near the place of her
living and he decided to do so. He dug the
foundation pit and the earth gathers into a
hill and put some salt on it. In Luck
language the word Vatzilu means – what
lies under salt.
Bakhargan
Various mythological characters of the
peoples of Dagestan take their roots in the
ancient times and tell us about the
connections of the local tribes with nature.
Ancient spirits, and gods possessed one
common relic feature - they personified the
fertility and profusion. Rare archaic legend
about the brothers’ transformation into the
rock there preserved in an Andean Myth,
written by H. Saipuev in the village of
Rickvany in Botlikh region.
This miracle myth tells us about the supreme
God Tzobe and his twin sons Bakhargan and
Modu, who were immaculately concepted
from the virgin woman. Because of the cruel
envious people’s slander the cruel gods
turned both brothers into rocky mountains
Bakhargan and Modu , covered with rich flora.
After their mother’s death her heart was
buried in the center of the mountain Modu
and one eye at the foot of it. The other eye
was buried at the foot of Bakhargan
mountain. The tears are still running from the
mother’s eyes – the cold water from the rocky
mountain and the warm curative water from
the picturesque mountain Modu.
Both mountains Modu and Bakhrgan were
turned by the Andeans into specific religious
centers. According to the mythological plot a
community of Gods whose life resembled the
life of the local people lived on the top the
mountain Bakhargan.
Untzukul
The legends tell us about famous
craftsmen Gooseyn and Martal, whose
names bare the Untzukul ornaments
nowadays. Craftsman Gooseyn lived
more than three hundred years ago and
his ornament resembles the dagger. The
ornament of craftsman Martal looks like a
sequence of sea waves. These and
many other elements used either
separately or in different combinations,
determine the unusual ornamental
richness of Untzukul goods. As the
legend says the first artistic object of the
local craftsmen was a whip handle made
from the cornelian tree and decorated
with rich inlay. Later the craftsmen began
to use white silver, copper, and silver for
engraving the walking sticks, pipes, snuff
boxes, candlesticks, desk sets, dishes,
peaces of furniture, the best sample of
which are exhibited in the largest
museums of the world.
The regional center Untzykul, the
homeland of the unique decorative
art, is situated among the high
forbidding mountains. The origin of
the craft dates back to the XVII
century. The elderly people in the
village still remember a large
wooden ring engraved with silver
which was hanging on the door of
the local Mosque.
Lakes of Kaitag
At the very border between the
Kaitag and the Tabasaran region
people can see two beautiful
lakes connected by a canal.
Local people say a very
interesting instructive legend
about this picturesque place
which got the name “Gignila
Sherby”.
Once upon a time there were two
villages here in which there lived the
people who were busy with improper
deeds. They didn’t show their respect
both to the Sun and to the Moon. More
over they usually insulted them, and
shot into them with their arches. And
one day when one licentious man
approved by the smiles of the
surrounding people boastfully declared
that that he could marry the heavenly
bodies it was the last straw that broke
the Heaven’s patience. They severely
punished the people for such an
unprecedented impudence – the gulf
devoured the wicked people and two
lakes appeared in those places.
Gotzatl
The art of metal processing
appeared in the ancient
mountainous village of Gotzatl,
which is situated in the
surroundings of the village of
Khunzakh, more than three
hundred years ago. Before this it
was difficult to find a family where
they used metallic dishes for
cooking- the food was cooked in
wooden cauldrons.
Even well-to-do villagers warmed
the water for ablution by throwing
heated in the fire stones into the
earthenware vessels
In order to have their own copper-
smith the people of Gotzatl made a
raid on a rich village of copper-
smiths and took several men as
prisoners. But none of the prisoners
confessed that he could process
copper. Then one of the local
elderly men proposed a cunning
thing. The legend says that the
villagers scattered charcoal mixed
with pieces of copper, which were
valued more than gold at that time,
on a mountainous road.
They thought that a real smith would certainly pick up those precious
pieces from the road. The idea was a success. In this way the first
copper-smith whose name was Akhkubek appeared in the village.
Later the deposits of sulfur and saltpeter were discovered in the
neighborhood and they were used in the process of processing the goods
from silver. A huge stone with a large hole for pounding sulfur and
charcoal is still on the local meeting place.
Time went on and the village grew. There appeared a group of craftsmen
who made Gotzatl famous around the world. By the end of the XIX
century only the poorest bridegroom had not been able to give his bride
elegant bracelets and delicate ear-rings and there had not been
practically any mountainous girls who would marry without a water jug
with a certain engraved design.
Nowadays the craftsmen from Gotzatl produce table sets, horns for
drinks, decorative dishes, souvenir daggers, and various filigree
decorations for women with mounting from the precious stones such as
turquoise, nephrite, lapis lazuli, agate, and obsidian. The handicrafts
made in Gotzatl are exhibited in the famous museums both in Russia and
abroad. They are shown at the International and All Russian exhibitions
bringing fame to Dagestan.
Pushkin Tau
The town of Isberbash is situated on
the shore of the Caspian Sea at the
foot of a mountain ridge Isberg tau,
65 kilometers to the south from the
capital of Dagestan. The height of
Isberbash anticline reaches 500
meters above the sea level. The
upper part of Isberg-tau is formed
from hard limestone of neogenic age
which served as a base for making a
natural very surprising monument.
Situated at the height of 220 meters
combination of several rocks following one
another form the profile of the Great
Russian poet Alexander Pushkin, which
can be clearly seen only from the definite
place. Still in the ancient times this rocky
formation served as a reference point for
the ships sailing in the Caspian Sea. But
only in the XX century people noticed that
those mountains looked like A. Pushkin. In
1978 the rock Pushkin-Tau was
proclaimed the natural monument of
republican significance.
There are some legends in Dagestan
saying how this miracle appeared. Here is
the most popular one. It says that during
the duel between A. Pushkin and G.
Dantes there happened an earthquake in
Dagestan and part of a huge rock broke in
a form a Pushkin’s profile. But to tell the
truth the scientists haven’t found any
traces of the earthquake at that time up till
now.
Derbent
There are several cities baring this
name on the map but only one of
them is more than 5000 years old,
famous for its historical monuments
and has always been a very
important city in people’s history.
We can find information about this
city in the works of famous
historians, geographers and
travelers of the past:
Gekatey Miletsky, Hares Mitilensky,
Gerodot, Cornelius Tatzit and many
others.
Many times it was mentioned in
medieval times. It is known that in
those numerous works the city had
different names and its contemporary
name appeared only in the VII century
and meant “Closed Gates”.
Derbent is situated on the western
coast of the Caspian Sea in the place
where difficult to access mountain
ridges of the Main Caucasian range
come too close to the sea leaving only
a narrow seashore line. From the
ancient time there laid a famous Pry-
Caspian way from Europe into the
Front Asia.
The ancient Aryans used this way while going from the steppes of Eastern
Europe onto the territory of Iran plateau. In the VII century it was used by the
numerous nomadic tribes in their attempts to get to the regions with rich lands
in the South to rob and devastate them.
The history of the city is lost in the centuries. And though ancient written
sauces give a lot of information about this famous city, they don’t provide us
with any information about the time of its origin. People came to live here not
only because of its convenient geographical position and exclusive strategic
position but mostly because of favorable climatic conditions. Many
settlements appeared here in the early period of the history of mankind and
even at that time they were very well fortified.
Powerful fortification works in Derbent amaze us with their magnificence and
have become the subject for numerous legends and stories. Profuse
imagination of the inhabitants in their attempts to glorify their mysterious city
referred its foundation either to the fire-spitting giants who lived on the earth
before the appearance of mankind or to the fantastic people Yadzhuh-
Madzhuk (in the Bible – Goga and Magoga). In the X century the Arabian
historian Masudy in his book “Golden Meadows” tells us a story of the son of
the king Gishtaspa prince Isfendiyar who build the fortress Naryn-Kala.
Decembrist A. Bestuzhev – Marlinsky, who had been sent in exile to Derbent
and spent many years there, writes: “The citizens say that their city was built
by the devil. The Devil had been building in the darkness and was in a hurry.
He kneaded stones in his paws, smashed them to pieces, spit on them,
through the ready houses one on another and built the streets as his tail lay.
By the morning the city had been built.”
The local historian Mirza-Hedir Vezirov in the XIX century writes that the city
was founded by shah Lehrasib from the dynasty of the Cyanides –
contemporary of the king Salomon. Old Georgian chronicles tell us about the
dreadful invasion of the Khasars. The Persian Tsar Afridon sent his
commander Ardon to pacify them. With a numerous army Ardon came into
Khazar’s country, defeated them, built a city near the sea gate and called it
Darubandy, which in the translation means “Closed Gates”.
There is another legend that says that the city was founded by Alexander
Mecedonian. He built a wall with towers between the sea and the mountains
and closed it with the gates bind with metal so that the people who lived on
the other side wouldn’t be able to do them any harm. It is only a legend. The
great warrior had never been to Dagestan but the existence of numerous
legends shows how important were the Derbent passage and the system of
fortifications built there.
Sharvily
Sharvily is the most respected national
hero in Southern Dagestan. He was a
fearless defender of his Motherland,
tireless grain-grower. His image
symbolizes the century long fight of
Lezghy people for freedom and justice.
The hero had only one weak point: like
Antes he didn’t have to tear off the
ground. Just in the place where the
bridge of Idris connects two banks of
the mountainous river Akhty-chai
hostile people asked Sharvily who had
gained lots of victories before in the
most difficult fights with the enemies, if
he would have been able to jump from
one bank of the river to the other
The hercules didn’t suspect that the enemies spread the pees around
the place from where he had to jump and covered them with a thin rug.
The whole village came to see him jump - his friends- poor villagers and
his enemies-rich villagers. Sharvily began running but slipped on the
pees, fell down from the edge of the bank, struck against the rock and
died.
They say that he was buried in his native village of Akhty, but nobody
knows where his grave is. In commemoration of the great hero people
in Dagestan have celebrations. Thousands of men make pilgrimage to
the foot of the mountain on top of which according to the legend there
had been buried the hero’s sword. Recently the thankful villagers built a
beautiful rotunda with six white columns and silver dome in memory of
Sharvily. Here the young men compete in strength and adroitness,
amateur artists sing old songs and dance old traditional dances, and the
children enjoy eating sweets.
Balkhar
The village of Balkhar where the
people of the Luck nationality live
is situated in the foothill
Dagestan. This mountainous
village is famous for its original
pottery decorated with elegant
white clay.
There is a legend in Balkhar about the
first potter, the man called Kalkuchchy.
One day this poor man sitting in a
gloomy mood on the shore of the lake
thinking how to earn his living.
Involuntarily he paid attention to the
boys who were making simple toys
from clay. Kalkuchchy decided to sculp
something from clay too. So he
sculped the water jug. The first jug
paved the way to the famous
homecraft in the village. Kalkuchchy
began teaching the villagers pottery
handicraft. But the life showed that the
most delicate and beautiful vessels
were made by the women. In this way
there was born the art of the famous
women potters who great skills are
known all around the world.
Kubachy
In Dagestan the village of Kubachy
is considered a miracle that has
come to our times from the
medieval ages. The village is
situated at the height of 1800
meters above the sea level,
but according to Dagestan measures
it is situated in a Foothill region.
The village is not small, but in good
times there lived 7-9 thousand
villagers there and this fact let the
villagers consider their village a small
state. A row of houses runs down the
mountain slope and it is compared
with the stone waterfall or with the
ladder to the sky. The houses are
situated one above another. They are
spacious, well built, having two or
three stores with numerous rooms.
Every house has got a room for
meeting guests, for the rest, having
meals, and what is more important –
a room for jewelry shop, and private
museum collection.
In Persian chronicles the village is mentioned even in the IV century as
Zerihgeran (Armory) which means Kubachy in the Turkish language. Another
name of the village is Ugbug which means “people’s blighters”. It is easy to
find out why they were called so. It was a village of weapon makers, and what
are weapons made for? For killing people. Though it is quite clear that in
medieval times the smiths were busy with making swords, sabers and
amours. The most expensive goods were decorated with jewelry which gave
the goods additional value. Among the most famous goods produced by
them are the two-horned helmet by Alexander the Macedonian, Prince
Alexander Nevsky’s shield, the saber of Nadir Shah, and the set of cold
weapons in Victoria and Albert museum in London which was presented to
Queen Victoria by the Russian tsar Alexander III. The Kubachy sabers were
very popular within the dragoons in Russian army.
When peaceful time came they became familiar with the new job- they began
producing jewelry and refined silver dishes. During the Romanov’s ruling and
in Soviet times it was considered a good taste to have at home silver wine
glasses, jugs, and vases made by Kubachy craftsmen. The ladies wore
famous bracelets, rings and earrings with great pleasure. .
Every family in Kubachy had its own design which was used only by this
craftsman and this design was kept a secret as the women keep the recipes
of making adzhika and baking bread. As we know the Islam prohibits
depicting living beings that’s why all the designs were of natural character.
The craftsman invented very interesting designs of the leaves, flowers, stalks
even those that would never be able to grow on a stony land of the Foothill
Caucasus.
The technique of the craftsmen of Kubachy is very difficult and variable.
There is a legend about gold smiths from Kubachy. Once upon a time the
gold smiths from Persia having decided to humiliate them sent to the village a
very thin wire with the following message: “Try to make the same and send it
to us”. They were greatly astonished when some time later got the same wire
but drilled inside. The gold smiths from Kubachy mockingly wrote: “we make
pipes from such wire”.
The Fortress of Seven
Brothers
.
On a small hill at the distance of 3-4 kilometers
from the village of Khuchny, the regional center
of Tabasaran region, there are ruins of the
former fortress which was known as “ The
Fortress of Seven Brothers”. The legend says
that previously seven brothers lived there with a
very beautiful sister. People say that the girl’s
silky hair was so long that when she wanted to
get the water she tied the water jug to her plaits
and let it down into the river. Her brothers were
known as brave herculeses and skillful warriors.
Once during one of the enemy’s sieges the
sister fell in love with the commander of the
enemy’s army. He persuaded her to pour
secretly salty water into the smooth bores of
brothers’ rifles and into the sheath of their
swords so that not only to save them but to
praise them.
But on seeing unarmed defenders of the
fortress the commander of the enemies broke
his word. He ordered to execute brothers one
after another and finally to kill the girl because
he thought that girl who betrayed her brother
couldn’t be trusted as she could betray again
and she deserved death. The villagers made a
stone hill over her tomb.
Even nowadays one can see a stony hill not far
from the road near the fortress. It is considered
to be a grave of the sister of the brave brothers.
Every man passing by the hill throws seven
stones at it as a sign of contempt to the traitor.
But every woman passing by the hill takes one
stone from it in respect to the force of
love.
Sleeping Beauty
The gigantic rocks rise in the North
and North-West sides above
Dagestan village of Gunib. If to look
attentively at their ridge one can see
in the background of the evening sky
a profile of a lying girl. One can see
a chokhto - a head-dress, put on a
broad forehead, long eyelashes
covering her eyes, a nice chin, high
breast.
The people call this rock “Sleeping
Beauty” or “Shamil’s Daughter”.
The legend say: Once upon a time
there lived a khan and he had a very
beautiful daughter. A village herder
fell in love with her. The girl loved
him too. But they couldn’t even think
about marriage. Wicked people told
the khan about their feelings. The
khan got very angry. He called his
daughter and told her to go to the
mountain and think about her
feelings the whole night long and in
the morning tell him if she had
changed her mind to marry the poor
herder. The girl went to the mountain
and sat down on a rock.
She didn’t want to think and change her mind as she loved
the young man very dearly. It became cold. The cold wind
was blowing. She lay down and fell asleep.
When the khan’s servants came to the mountain in the
morning they didn’t find the girl there because she turned
into a stone and became part of that rock. On seeing this
her beloved who was shepherding the sheep on the Kegher
mountains had become so sad that turned into the stone.
When you see the profile of the sleeping beauty in the
background of the evening sky turn around and you’ll be
able to see behind the river Kara Koisu on Kegher rocks
the head of the stark young man.
Sarykum
There is a very surprising natural
place of interest on the border of the
steppe and foothill Dagestan.
It is a sandy Dune Sarykum, a piece
of Asian desert in the hart of
mountainous region. The world learnt
about its existence in the XIX century
when the great French writer
Alexander Dumas-the father who had
visited Dagestan before described its
beauty in his book “Caucasus from
Prometheus to Shamil”.
The name Sarykum in Kumik
language means –Yellow sand.
There are several dunes here but
they don’t occupy a large territory –
approximately 10 kilometers in
length and 3-4 kilometers in width.
The height of the dune changes all
the time but the average height is
260 meters. It is the highest sandy
dune not only in Russia but in
Eurasia. Its age is more than
several hundred thousands years.
Because of the wind the dune
changes its form very often but its
foot always remains in the same
place, at the edge of Kumtorkala
mountain range where the
mountains meet with the steppe.
There are many legends about its origin. According to one of them before
intending to go to fight with Tohtamysh khan Aksak-Temir decided to check
how many warriors he had got in his army. Every warrior was ordered to put
sand into his helmet and then pour it out in one place. When every warrior
emptied his helmet Aksak-Temir saw a mountain of sand. On seeing it he
believed that he would be able to conquer the greatest state of their time
The Golden Horde, Northern Dagestan being part of it at that time.
Here is another legend but this time it is a love story. In the village of
Kumtorkala there lived a man called Ibrahim. He had a very beautiful
daughter Bariyat. Many young men wanted to marry her but she loved only
one man- Bulat. Many time Bulat came to Ibrahim and asked him a
permission to marry Bariat but Ibrahim refused all the time. But the girl was
stubborn and didn’t want to marry any other man. And then Ibrahim told
Bulat to do the following: “Bring from the sea and throw up such a large
sandy mountain behind the river Shura-Ozen that you would be able to see
our house from its top. Only then I will believe that you love my daughter.”
And Bulat agreed.
Months passed, years passed but the mountain grew very slowly. It
became more and more difficult for Bulat to bring sand from the sea. He
was very tired.
Once having climbed the mountain he saw his native village. He noticed a
woman’s figure on the roof of familiar house. And though it was difficult to see the
face he recognized his beloved. Bulat ran down the slope, crossed the river and
ran to the village. Finally he could marry his beloved Bariyat. But who did he see?
A crooked old grey haired woman was looking ruefully at the approaching man. Her
cheeks had become hollow; her eyes had lost their color because of constant
tears.
What an awful picture! Only then he paid attention to his long white beard. The
youth had past away and the whole life had passed away… But the monument to
unhappy love of Bulat and Bariyat stands near Kumik village of Kumtorkala.
But the real reason of the formation of the Dune is connected with the winds.
During centuries they had been destroying the neighboring mountains and brought
the sand into one place. In this way the Sandy Dune was formed. The winds in this
place blow in such a way that they only change the image of the dune, but the
dune itself remains in the place where it is.
Sarykum is the hottest place in Dagestan. In summer the temperature on the
southern slopes can reach +60 degrees Celsius and sometimes it comes up to +
90 Degrees. In such conditions only typically desert inhabitants such as cobras,
ground squirrel, and scorpions can survive.
The Sarykum Dune is a natural monument and is protected by the state.
Hercules’s
Columns
To perform his twelve heroic deeds
the legendary hero unconquerable
Hercules had to travel a lot.
According to the Myths he erected
a giant stone in every place he had
performed his heroic deed.
Hercules’s columns were scattered
all over the world. People found
them in French Britain, on the coast
of the Mediterranean Sea, in
Greenland, in northern part of
Istanbul and in the Urals.
The Myths of ancient Greece say
that he liberated chained to the
rock Prometheus somewhere in the
Caucasian mountains.
The scientists still dispute about the place of this heroic deed but the
librarians of Khasavyurt city library are sure that they have found it in the
surroundings of the Dagestan mountainous village of Burtunai.
First of all in this place high mountain river banks look like conglomeration
of huge columns which are very much alike Hercules’s Columns, which
have preserved in other parts of the world. Secondly, the local people mark
strange unusual phenomenon which takes place occasionally in this area.
The same event happens near the Hercules’s columns in other parts of the
world where the apparatus mark vertical flows of energy. And finally it is
known that all the Hercules’s Columns were connected with one another by
the system of underground catacombs. Evidently like those not studied yet
caves near Burtunai.
If we are right or wrong it is for the scientists to decide. But this place is
sure to have its special energy which gives strength to the youth of
Dagestan who go in for Fee Style Wrestling since their childhood.