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Naryn-Kala Citadel

Fortifications and Military Architecture

Naryn-Kala is an ancient citadel forming the upper end of the Derbent fortification system on the Caspian coast of Dagestan, Russia, built in the sixth century CE under the Sasanian ruler Khosrow I Anushirvan to control the narrow pass between the Caucasus mountains and the sea. The citadel encloses about 4.5 hectares within a roughly rectangular circuit some 180 meters wide and 255 meters long, its walls reaching 20 to 25 meters in height and up to 3.5 meters thick, reinforced by small towers spaced 20 to 30 meters apart and a gun tower at the southwest corner. Double walls once ran from the citadel down to the Caspian shore, sealing the coastal pass entirely. Within the walls survive the remains of a shah palace, bath buildings, ceramic water pipes and disputed ruins that may represent an early Christian church. Naryn-Kala was inscribed as part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2003, though it is listed as endangered, and it now functions as a museum with ongoing archaeological excavation.

Facts
Building Type
Citadel 1
Location
Derbent, Dagestan, Russia 1
Classification
Standing Status
Standing 1
Building Type
Building Type (category)
Fort / Fortress 1
Connections

Has Building Type

In Style

Source Naryn-Kala, Wikipedia

Uses Element

Source Naryn-Kala, Wikipedia
In the Other Atlases

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Sources
1. Naryn-Kala, Wikipedia
  • Introduction, first sentence (building type)
    is an ancient pre-Arab citadel, part of the Derbent fortress
  • Introduction, location of the Derbent fortress
    Derbent, Dagestan, in Russia
  • Wikipedia "Naryn-Kala" intro (read live, w-fk-arch-rel2-0927c, R-K)
  • Entity description and the lead/infobox of the Wikipedia article
    Naryn-Kala is an ancient citadel forming the upper end of the Derbent fortification system on the Caspian coast of Dagestan, Russia, built in the sixth century CE under the Sasanian ruler Khosrow I Anushirvan to control the narrow pass between the Caucasus mountains and the sea. The citadel encloses about 4.5 hectares within a roughly rectangular circuit some 180 meters wide and 255 meters long, its walls reaching 20 to 25 meters in height and up to 3.5 meters thick, reinforced by small towers spaced 20 to 30 meters apart and a gun tower at the southwest corner. Double walls once ran from the citadel down to the Caspian shore, sealing the coastal pass entirely. Within the walls survive the remains of a shah palace, bath buildings, ceramic water pipes and disputed ruins that may represent an early Christian church. Naryn-Kala was inscribed as part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2003, though it is listed as endangered, and it now functions as a museum with ongoing archaeological excavation.
  • Uses Element: Limestone, Infobox material field: Limestone blocks
  • In Style: Sasanian Architecture, Wikipedia categories
    Category:Sasanian castles
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