Nationalities of Dagestan: features, list and interesting facts. Religious Identity of Dagestanis A Brief History of Derbent

Pre-Islamic beliefs of the peoples of Dagestan

Religious beliefs were fixed in the early stages of the development of the peoples of Dagestan. One of the first religious ideas were pagan beliefs. In the archaeological materials of ancient Dagestan, monuments are found that testify to the worship of heavenly bodies, natural phenomena. One of the early cults was the worship of fire, which was given the meaning of purifying power. The pagan rite of kindling fires passed as folk custom and in subsequent eras. Numerous solar signs have been preserved in many monuments, testifying to the worship of the sun. This is an image of the sun in the form of a disk with divergent rays, a swastika (an image of a cross inside solar disk, which is the oldest sign representing the sun). Solar signs are found from the Mesolithic era and are found up to the early Middle Ages. Traces of worship of the sun are found in the religious ideas of individual peoples of Dagestan. In particular, in the pantheon of gods among the Laks, the sun god occupies one of the main places. He was represented as a beautiful young man, illuminating the whole world with his beauty. An interesting fact is that this image resembles ancient ideas about solar deities, which indicates certain cultural ties between the peoples of Dagestan and the ancient world, but in later eras.

With the emergence of a manufacturing economy and the increase in the importance of agriculture and cattle breeding in the life of ancient people, agrarian cults appear. They are typical for many countries of the world that have experienced similar processes. The main cult of this period is the cult of fertility, which was revered in the form of a female deity. The woman was a symbol of the constantly resurgent nature, her maternal strength. In many monuments of Dagestan, there are female clay figurines, personifying fertility. An important place among agricultural cults was occupied by the worship of domestic animals, in particular, the bull, which was the main draft force of that time. Worship of the bull is in contact with the common cult of arable land that existed among the ancient Dagestanis. This is evidenced by clay reliefs depicting scenes of plowing and a bull. Interesting finds were found in the archaeological materials of the Upper Gunib settlement and they date back to the Bronze Age. These are clay reliefs depicting scenes of arable land with harnessed bulls. All these cults testify to the stable settled way of life of the population of Dagestan. The cult of the hearth tells us the same thing. This is evidenced by the finds of various offerings near the hearths of the dwelling. The beliefs of ancient Dagestan are characterized by totemism. In many cultures, animals were considered patrons of people.

Thus, in some representations, the good spirit of the house and its guardian appear in the form of a snake. The Avars of the Khunzakh region have a golden snake, the Laks have a snake with golden horns. Meets and White Snake. According to folk legends, a brownie - a snake lives in the central pillar of the dwelling. The owners from time to time must appease the brownie with various gifts. One of the early religious beliefs was the belief in afterlife characteristic of all peoples at a certain stage of development. The ancient inhabitants of Dagestan had a custom to put various implements in the burials - household items, labor, weapons, as this could be useful to their owner in afterlife. There is also a custom to bury the dead in special burials resembling dwellings. During the transition period from bronze to iron, religious ideas are supplemented by new cults. The cult of ancestors is of great importance. According to the ideas of the Dagestanis, the deceased ancestors were the patrons of the hearth and protected the dwelling from evil spirits. During this period, the custom appears to hold feasts for the dead, as well as arrange sacrificial places near the graves. In the era of iron, the cult of this metal is of great importance. The ancient Dagestanis carried weapons made of iron - axes, knives, because, according to their ideas, they drove away evil spirits. In this regard, the profession of a blacksmith and the veneration of representatives of this profession are of great importance. With the increasing importance of war, the cult of the horse also spreads.

In the Albanian era, the worship of heavenly bodies was also of great importance. The main deity of Albania was the goddess of the moon. Temple areas and sacred groves were dedicated to her. Their remains were found in Southern Dagestan, in particular, in the Shalbuzdag region. The priest of the goddess of the moon was the second person in the state, which also emphasizes the importance of this cult. Moon worship also existed in Dagestan. An old Kumyk proverb says: "The weight of the Moon will outweigh the Sun." There were also gods of the Sun, Fire, Earth in Albania. In ancient sources, they are called Greco-Roman names. The god of fire was called among the Albanians Alp. Some researchers believe that the name of the state also came from the name of this deity. A deity with this name is found among the Lezgins.

In the IV century. AD Christianity penetrated the territory of Albania, which corresponded to the new social and economic relations that characterize feudalism. In the 70s. this century, the Albanian king Urnair and the highest nobility adopted a new religion. But attempts to spread it among the population of the country ran into fierce resistance. Bishop Grigoris, sent from Armenia to Albania, tried to introduce the nomads - Maskuts and their king - Sanatruk to the new religion, but were unsuccessful. Grigoris was captured and tied to the tail of a wild horse. Folk tradition connects the death of Grigoris with the village of Mola-Khalil, located near Derbent. During the reign of the Albanian king Vachagan III at the end of the 5th century. Christianity in Albania already had a strong position. Consequently, in Dagestan, his position was strengthened. The patriarchal throne (the residence of the catalikos - the Christian head of Albania) was located in the first half of the 6th century. in the Chora region (a region near Derbent), and then it was already transferred to Partav. On the Verkhnechiryurt settlement, the remains of two early Christian churches were found, which date back to the 6th-8th centuries. Strengthening political ties with the neighboring states of Transcaucasia - Armenia and Georgia - played a big role in the process of spreading Christianity in Dagestan. Southern Dagestan was under the influence Armenian Church, and the western one is in the orbit of influence of the Georgian church. Christian missionaries penetrated into the regions of Dagestan, created their missions and seminaries here. The success of the missionaries in the region of Southern Dagestan was associated with the strengthening of the influence of the Armenian kings on political life this part of Dagestan. Various methods were used in the process of Christianization of the local population. According to Georgian chronicles, the Georgian king Archil (668-718)

He forcibly converted "pagans" to Christianity, among whom were the Avars. The vigorous activity of the Christian church in Dagestan is also associated with the name of the outstanding Georgian ruler - Queen Tamara. The process of Christianization of Dagestan, as well as the strengthening of Georgian influence, is associated with the emergence of bilingual texts - bilingual, which testified to the growing cultural and political ties, as well as the attempts of local peoples to create their own script. Religious representations of the peoples inhabiting the Khazar Khaganate are interesting. According to the Arab author al-Istarkhiya, the Khazars are Muslims, Christians and Jews. There are also idolaters among them. The smallest class is the Jews. The largest are Muslims and Christians. But the king and his entourage are Jews. The adoption by the top of the Khazar Khaganate of such a religion, which is not widespread among the inhabitants of the state, pursued a purely political goal. Perhaps this was due to the unwillingness of the Khazar elite to fall under the influence of the powerful states of the Middle Ages - the Christian - Byzantium and the Muslim - Arab Caliphate. The traces of Judaism in Dagestan are thus very insignificant. As for Christianity, its positions were quite strong.

In mountainous Dagestan, this was due to the significant political and cultural influence of neighboring Georgia. It is here that the remains of Christian places of worship and objects of Christian symbolism, such as crosses, are found. Written sources provide us with great help in determining the religious ideas of the inhabitants of medieval Dagestan. The well-known Arab author Ibn Ruste describes the funeral rite common among the inhabitants of Serir and gives interesting information about the religion of the population of this region of Dagestan. He writes that all the inhabitants of the fortress (obviously, the local nobility) are Christians, and all the rest of the inhabitants of the country are pagans. Further, he describes the pagan rite of burial. “When someone dies,” he writes, “they put him on a stretcher and take him out to an open place, where they leave him for three days. rush to the dead body on a stretcher, they circle around the stretcher, directing the horse towards the body, but not piercing it. The meaning of the action performed, described by the Arab author, is not entirely clear and is obviously associated with certain superstitions that existed among the medieval inhabitants of Serir.

Among the beliefs of medieval Dagestan, one should also mention the Iranian religion - Zoroastrianism, which spread here during the reign of the Sassanids. Turning again to written sources, one should pay attention to the information of the Arab author again - Al-Andalusi al-Garnati. He describes a funeral rite common among the inhabitants of Zirikhgeran (Kubachi) in the 12th century. He writes: “When a person dies with them, and if he is a man, then they hand him over to men underground, who dismember the bones of the deceased, clean the bones from meat and collect ... meat and give it to be eaten by black crows. If this is a woman, then the men under earth ... they pull out its bones and give meat to kites."

The spread of Islam in Dagestan

The birthplace of Islam is the western part of the Arabian Peninsula, namely the cities of Mecca and Medina. The emergence of Islam coincided with the process of the formation of statehood among the Arabs and the unification of nomadic and semi-nomadic tribes. The new religion turned into a powerful consolidating factor that contributed to the political, ideological and cultural unity of Arabia. The beginning of the sermons is associated with a native of the city of Mecca, Mohammed, who was born around 570. Mohammed belonged to a noble, but not rich family. The beginning of the sermons of the new religion dates back to about 610. But this period was not successful for Mohammed. Few of his fellow citizens recognized him. Therefore, the prophet was forced to move to the city of Yathrib. Later, this city became known as the "city of the prophet" or al-Madina. The process of resettlement itself was called "hijra" (literally, eviction, emigration). The Hijra, which took place in 622, was recognized as the beginning of the Muslim chronology. Gradually, the positions of the new religion began to strengthen, and it soon replaced the agricultural pagan cults of the Arabian tribes. The process of political unification of the Arabs, begun by Mohammed, ended with the creation of a new state - the caliphate, which was destined to play a big role in historical destinies many peoples. The rulers of the state received the title of Caliph.

Under the first three caliphs - Abu Bakr, Omar and Osman, the era of "great conquests" begins. New territories were included in the caliphate. Moreover, for the peoples of some countries, the Arabs acted as deliverers from oppression. Thus, the common people of the Byzantine Empire and Iran saw the Arabs as saviors from the oppression of their feudal elite. The fact that the Arabs used more benign methods of exploiting the conquered peoples played an important role in this. In the process of conquests, the doctrine of "jihad" was developed - a holy war against the infidels, which also contributed to the success of Islamization. In Muslim tradition, there is a division of lands into categories depending on their relationship to Islam. The territories of Islam are distinguished - Muslim countries under the rule of Muslim rulers; treaty territories - non-Muslim lands that pay a certain tribute to the Arabs, but retain their own internal order and war territories - lands that are at war with the Arabs. Depending on the category of land, the policy of the Arabs in relation to them varied. The confessional status of the local population also played a certain role. In Islam, there was the concept of ahl al-kitab, i.e. "People of the Book" They included Christians and Jews. The attitude towards them was more tolerant, and they belonged to the category of the "protected" population. Much more implacable was the attitude towards unbelievers and pagans. Dagestan, in which the pagan population prevailed, belonged to the territory of the war.

The process of Islamization in Dagestan covered a fairly long time period. It is customary to single out two periods of this long process. The first covers the 7th - the first half of the 10th centuries. and is connected directly with the Arabs. The second stage continues from the second half of the 10th to the 16th centuries. These stages had certain differences both in the rate of spread and in those carriers who acted as conductors of the ideas of Islam in Dagestan. The first Arab campaigns were not accompanied by violent Islamization. Quite a few important role the specific tax system adopted in the Arab Caliphate played here. The population of the conquered lands, who accepted Islam, was exempted from the poll tax, called jizya. Jizya was paid by those locals who retained their former beliefs. Thus, the poll tax was a kind of payment for the religious tolerance of the Arabs. The size of the poll tax was established by agreement. Women, old people, children, the poor, monk slaves, as well as Christians who fought on the side of the Arabs, were exempted from jizya. On the one hand, such a system of taxation gave a certain income to the treasury. On the other hand, it served as a means of economic coercion to accept Islam.

Among those who one of the first began the process of Islamization in Dagestan, historical sources name the Arab commander - Maslama. The construction of the first mosques in Derbent is associated with him. In each district of the city, a separate mosque was built and the cathedral Juma - a mosque that has survived to this day. So, gradually Derbent became the center of Arab influence in Dagestan and the largest Muslim center. Among the activities of Maslama was the resettlement of 24 thousand residents from Syria to the Derbent region. The numerous Arab population of the city and its environs significantly contributed to the strengthening of the position of Islam among the local population. The well-known historical chronicle "Derbent - name" describes the activities of Maslama to plant Islam in the conquered territories and not only in Derbent. According to the author of the chronicle, Maslama went to Kumukh, fought with the inhabitants, killed their head and defeated them. He spared those who converted to Islam, and those who did not - killed those and divided their property among the fighters for the faith. Fighters for the faith, the so-called ghazi, were specially organized units that contributed to the spread of a new religion. Similar events were repeated in Kaitag and Tabasaran. Turning to another authoritative author - al - Garnati, who visited Derbent in 1162, we again meet the name of Maslama. He reports that the inhabitants of Tabasaran converted to Islam under Maslam. Arab campaigns in Dagestan lasted until the 9th century. The power of the Arab state began to decline. The territories previously subject to them came out of the control of the Arabs. In fact, Dagestan also turned out to be independent. After the cessation of the Arab conquests, the position of Islam strengthened in the region of Derbent and in South Dagestan. At the first stage of Islamization, the main part of the Dagestan lands retained their pagan beliefs. It is possible that even those units that converted to Islam under the Arabs returned to their former beliefs at the end of their campaigns. In a number of regions, especially mountainous Dagestan, the positions of Christianity were strong. Geographically, the process of the spread of Islam in Dagestan was carried out from the southeast to the northwest. Moreover, it should be noted that at the first stage, Islam primarily spread among the rulers of the political associations of Dagestan.

In the middle of the X century. Islam already had a fairly definite position in Dagestan. Derbent becomes a Muslim city. This is confirmed by the appearance here of Muslim names, Muslim funeral rites, as well as Arabic inscriptions, most of which have a construction character. The earliest refers to the VIII., and the next is already in 1044. This inscription contains a list of Muslim names and formulas. The analysis of tombstone inscriptions - epitaphs, allows us to conclude that the Muslims of Derbent are a significant force in the process of spreading Islam. Judging by the inscriptions, those killed in the struggle for the faith receive the title of "shahid". Of great interest is the famous burial ground "Kirkhlyar" or "Sorokovnik", located 200 - 300 meters north of the northern gates of the Naryn fortress - kala. Local historical chronicles link this burial site of the 10th - 13th centuries. with 40 fighters for the faith - ghazis who died in the fight against the infidels. This monument was revered as a Muslim shrine, and even now it has retained its significance. sacred place. During this period, Derbent acts not only as a religious center, but also as the center of the cultural life of medieval Dagestan. The importance of this city as a cultural and educational center is evidenced by the fact that in the XIII century. there were madrasahs. Madrasahs appear in other regions of Dagestan as well. In the village of Tsakhur at the end of the 11th century. madrasah was established. Soon Tsakhur becomes one of the major centers of Islamization and acts as a distributor of the ideas of Islam in neighboring regions.

The second stage of Islamization

At the second stage, the Turkic element played a significant role in the spread of Islam. The penetration of the Turkic tribes into the territory of Dagestan was carried out both from the north and from the south. In the north they were Polovtsy, and in the south - Turks - Seljuks. During the reign of the Seljuk sultans, the territory of Southern Dagestan was under their control. The Seljuks persistently spread the ideas of Islam in the conquered territories, as it was the state religion of the Sultanate. In the conquered countries, the Seljuks distributed significant land holdings to representatives of the nobility. This was used by the local feudal nobility, since being an adherent of the ideas of Islam meant having certain economic benefits. The next wave of Turkic conquests is connected with the Mongols. But the first Mongol campaigns caused great harm to the positions of Islam in Dagestan. Especially after Bukdai's 1239 campaign against Derbent. The city was destroyed, and the importance of Derbent as a Muslim center was undermined. But gradually the city recovered, the destroyed mosques were built again. In addition, the ruling elite of the Golden Horde under Khan Berke (second half of the 13th century) itself converted to Islam. Khan Berke and his successors strongly supported the adoption of Islam by the inhabitants of the subject areas, including Dagestan. Under the rule of the Golden Horde at that time was not only Derbent, but also the flat areas to the north of it. In the person of the Golden Horde khans, the Muslim clergy of the North Caucasus gained significant support. Also, immigrants from Dagestan had a certain weight in the Golden Horde. The Arab traveler ibn Batuta mentions the well-known scientist Suleiman al-Lakzi in the capital of the state - the city of Saray, obviously a native of Dagestan.

The next strengthening of the position of Islam in Dagestan is associated with the name of Timur. Timur attached great importance to the religious factor and used it to his advantage. The Islamic factor acquired particular importance in the process of fighting its main political rival in the North Caucasus - the Golden Horde Khan Tokhtamysh. His historians presented Tokhtamysh as a pagan, "infidel". This averted the Muslim population of Dagestan from an alliance with him. Timur supported the local feudal nobility, who accepted Islam and submitted to it. This is especially evident in Timur's attitude towards the clergy and rulers of the accident and Kazi-Kumukh. During this period, Islam was widely spread among the inhabitants of Kumukh. The inhabitants of the accident at that time had both pagan and Christian and Muslim beliefs. Nizametdin Shafi, Timur's court historiographer, reported that Timur supported the "Gazikumukh and Aukhar Kalantars" in the fight against the infidels. Representatives of the local nobility were called Kalantars. The Aukharian Kalantars, obviously, are a layer of the ruling elite of Avaria. Georgian chronicles preserved information about Timur's actions to strengthen the position of Islam in Avaria. According to this historical source, Timur conquered the "Lezgins" (in this context, the Avars), who were previously Christians, and seduced them into Mohammedanism either by flattery or threats, and appointed mullahs from the Arabs, who obliged them to teach Lezgin children writing in Arabic. He even issued strict orders that people should not learn to read or write in Georgian. Thus, Timur attached great importance to the spread of Islam in the mountainous Dagestan. But Christianity did not want to give up its positions here, just as the Georgian kings did not want to lose their influence. Therefore, the confrontation between Islam and Christianity takes on the most violent forms here. At the end of the XIII - XIV centuries. Islam finally gained a foothold in Central Avaria, and Khunzakh became the center of Islamization for neighboring regions.

Another issue is Timur's attitude to the Dargin regions. The Islamization of Dargin societies, in particular, Kaitag, begins at the end of the 10th century. and proceeds at a rapid pace. Numerous Kufic inscriptions found in Urkarakh, Kalakoreish speak in favor of the spread of Islam in these areas. There is also other evidence of the spread of Islam among the Dargins. In particular, we can say that in 1306, with the participation of Sheikh Hassan Suhraverdi, who arrived from Iran, the inhabitants of Kubachi converted to Islam. But in the annals of Timur, the inhabitants of Ushkudzh (Akushi), Kaitag. Zirichgeran are called "infidels". This was done for political reasons, since it was here that Timur ran into fierce resistance. The spread of Islam here by the time of Timur's arrival is documented. But Timur significantly expanded and approved the spread of Islam here and in general in Dagestan. Last but not least, Islam in Dagestan is accepted by residents of the extreme north-western regions inhabited by Didoi, where the influence of Georgia was strongest and Christianity had a stable position.

In the process of Islamization, there are two most important factors that played a big role in its spread in Dagestan. First of all, this is an external factor, since Islam penetrated the territory of Dagestan during the conquests. Successive conquerors - first the Arabs, then the Turks, Timur, the Safavids created a continuous Muslim stream that flooded into Dagestan. At some point, this factor was of decisive importance. But then the internal factor comes to the fore. The appearance in Dagestan of local Muslim centers, which themselves act as conductors of the ideas of Islam in the conquered territories. Derbent, Tsakhur, Akhty, Kumukh, Khunzakh, Kalakoreish and others become such centers. The process of Islamization of Dagestan continued into the 15th century. It was accompanied by the construction of mosques, schools, the spread of the Arabic language and writing. Arabic-language literature is gaining great popularity. Gradually, Dagestan is drawn into the orbit of the influence of the Muslim East and the richest Islamic culture, which has great achievements in Dagestan.

Dagestan is the most unique region of Russia: in a small area there are more than a hundred peoples and ethnic groups. What nationalities live in Dagestan today? We will answer this question in the article.

The nationalities of the republic make up an extensive list. Historically determined and some modern processes affect the number of a particular nation present in the republic. Peoples left Dagestan, new nationalities appeared. The attitude towards the national palette and its perception were not always positive, which immediately affected the development of the social and economic spheres. And the more Dagestanis develop tolerance towards each other, the easier it is to solve common problems.

Nationalities of the Republic of Dagestan

The first attempt to count the population of Dagestan was made by the military department of the Russian Empire at the end of the nineteenth century. But more accurate data were obtained at the census eleven years later. It turned out that almost 590 thousand people lived in Dagestan within the borders of that time.

If we compare these figures with those obtained in the 2010 Dagestan census, they have increased almost five times - 2 million 323 thousand people. Population growth was noted from the mid-20s to the 40s. last century, also a decade before the 70s. and from 1989 to 2002. The lowest population in Dagestan was noted in the period from 1897 to 1926, and also from 1939 for the next twenty years.

The civil war, the drought of the early 1920s also affected demographic indicators. At the same time, Russians, Ukrainians and Jews began to leave Dagestan, followed by the emigration of part of the Dagestanis to Turkey. This resulted in a 20% drop in population.

However, after the mid-20s of the twentieth century, a sharp increase begins. It is associated with natural growth, which has reached more than 20%. The influx of Russians, Ukrainians, Armenians, Tatars, Jews and representatives of other nationalities also influenced. People moved to the Dagestan Republic in search of work.

Before the start of the Great Patriotic War, almost 970 thousand people lived in Dagestan. The population of the republic, as well as other territories, was affected by the Nazi attack on the Soviet Union. The mobilization covered more than 160 thousand men, some of whom did not return from the battlefields. From the beginning of the 50s. demographers note the highest birth rate and natural increase - almost 34%.

Nationalities who live in Dagestan

Answering the question of what nationalities live in Dagestan, we note right away that today the republic is one of the three most numerous national republics of Russia, yielding to Bashkortostan and Tatarstan. In the North Caucasian Federal District, among seven subjects, Dagestan ranks first in terms of population - more than 30% of the total population of the district. Exceeds Iceland, Latvia, Estonia, Montenegro, Qatar, Cyprus, Kuwait and Bahrain in this indicator. However, in recent decades there has been a downward trend in the birth rate.

Speaking about how many nationalities there are in Dagestan, one should refer to the figures of the censuses and modern data.

According to Rosstat, more than three million people live in Dagestan in 2017. This is the 13th place in terms of population in Russia. The absolute population growth was 26 thousand people - the 5th place in the country. 12th place in terms of relative growth - 0.86%.

In the list of nationalities of Dagestan, the largest groups are Avars, Dargins, Kumyks, Lezgins and Laks. Books are printed in the languages of these peoples and mass media work. Small ethnic groups of Dagestan: Chukchi, Arabs, Serbs and Slovaks.

The population in the 1959 census was just over one million people. In 1970 - about one and a half million people. In nine years - two hundred people more. In 1989, the population increased by another two hundred people - 1 million 800 thousand. A census conducted fifteen years ago showed that more than two and a half million people live in Dagestan. The 2010 census gave data with growth - 2 million 900 thousand people.

How has the population changed?

Of the nationalities living in Dagestan, the Avars remain the most numerous:

1959 - 22.5%;
1970 - 24.4%;
1979 - 25.7%;
1989 - 27.5%;
2002 - 29.4%;
2010 - 29.4%.

The second largest group is made up of the Dargins:

1959 - 14%;
1970 - 14.5%;
1979 - 15.2%;
1989 - 15.6%;
2002 - 16.5%;
2010 - 17%.

The third group in terms of numbers is the Kumyks:

1959 - 11.4%;
1970 - 11.8%;
1979 - 12.4%;
1989 - 12.9%;
2002 - 14.2%;
2010 - 14.9%.

The data for Russians and Jews show an increasing decline.

1959 - 20.1%;
1970 - 14.7%;
1979 - 11.6%;
1989 - 9.2%;
2002 - 4.69%;
2010 - 3.6%.

1959 - 2.3%;
1970 - 2.0%;
1979 - 1.6%;
1989 - 1.44%;
2002 - 0.13%;
2010 - 0.08%.

What other peoples live in Dagestan

The list of nationalities of Dagestan includes dozens of names of peoples. The latest population census showed the following data on other peoples: Georgians - almost 700 people, Laks - more than 160 thousand, Lezgins - almost 390 thousand, Nogais - 40 and a half thousand, Ossetians - less than 900, Tatars - almost 4 thousand, Kazakhs and Persians - more than 500, Ukrainians - one and a half thousand, Chechens - almost 94 thousand, Tsukhurs - about 9800 people.

If we consider how many nationalities live in Dagestan, then we can find very interesting data. An analysis of the census of the population of the republic showed that there were fewer nationalities, some of the nationalities left Dagestan, but there were also those that did not exist. Sometimes the names of nationalities, to which some residents consider themselves, made the researchers smile.

Changes in national groups:

2002 - 121 nationalities. 2010 - 117 nationalities and ethnic groups.
During the 2010 census, Bagulals, Americans, Besermen, Veps, Karaites, Tuvans, Udins, Nagaybaks, Nanais, Pashtuns, Eskimos, Yukaghirs and Yakuts, who were previously listed, were no longer found among the inhabitants. Representatives of the Afghan nation, Albanian, Bulgur, Colombian, Nigerian, Turkic, Serbian, French, Ethiopian and Japanese nations settled in Dagestan.

Interestingly, almost 450 people, denoting their nationality, called themselves Akhtyns, Buynaktsy, Dagestanis, Makhachkala residents (this is the name of the inhabitants of the city of Makhachkala, but there is no separate nationality) and Tsumadins, as well as mestizos, Russians and even Afro-Russians. Fifteen years ago, more than 350 people considered themselves to be amazing and extremely unusual in sounding ethnic groups and nationalities.

The number of Cossacks increased - almost 700 people. In 2002, 11 residents of Dagestan called themselves Cossacks. Prior to this, the Cossacks were present only in the 1897 census data.

Avars

In Dagestan, the most numerous peoples are Avars, Dargins and Kumyks.

Avars are settled mainly in the territories of mountainous Dagestan, they speak several dialects and dialects. The literary language of the Avars is called the language of the guest or the language of the troops. Arabic graphics provided the basis for Avar writing in the 15th and 16th centuries. But by the thirtieth year of the twentieth century, the Avars began to massively master the Russian language, because they were trained in it. In 1938, representatives of the nationality begin to use the Cyrillic alphabet. Children in schools were first taught in their native language, and in the middle classes - already in Russian. Today, the Avars speak both the language of their people and Russian, which allowed them to easily integrate into the cultural space of Russia.

Avars are considered Sunni Muslims by religion.

Dargins

The Dargins in the Civil War were among the first to start the fight: they rebelled against Denikin and defeated the White Cossacks in the Aya-Kakak Gorge. These people are very hospitable. Previously, the Dargins tremblingly revered blood feud, but the community, represented by the elders, gradually achieved a change in attitude towards this in the Dargian code of honor. For example, murderers began to be expelled from the community.

Islam as a religion among the Dargians was established by the fourteenth century. They are Sunni Muslims - madhhaba. Before the Islamic faith, they worshiped the forces of nature, they were pagans, like the original Russian population before the adoption of Christianity.

Kumyks

Kumyks are also the indigenous inhabitants of Dagestan. They are Sunni Muslims. It is believed that the Kumyk language began to take shape in the pre-Mongol era. Kumykia was crossed by all travelers of the Great Silk Road. The first national theater in Dagestan appeared precisely among this people.

Kumyks are very proud of their scientists, artists (artists, writers) and athletes. A special pride of the people is the Hero of the Soviet Union Abdulkhakim Ismailov, who, together with Alexei Kovalev from Kyivian and Leonid Gorichev from Minsk, hoisted the Banner of Victory over the defeated Reichstag in Berlin. Two representatives of the Kumyk people became full cavaliers of the Order of Glory.

Russians in Dagestan

Russians have lived side by side with the highlanders for thousands of years. And in Soviet times, they massively went to the republic to teach children in schools, treat people in hospitals, build houses and work in other professions. The Soviet distribution after universities and colleges made the profession of a teacher the most respected and revered in Dagestan. Therefore, it is no coincidence that a monument dedicated to the work of Russian teachers was erected in Makhachkala.

Today, there are more than 8% Russians in Dagestan, about one hundred and fifty thousand people. A large proportion of Russians live in Makhachkala and Kaspiysk, half of the Russian population lives in Kizlyar. In the nineties, many native Dagestan Russians left Dagestan due to the growth of a national movement, radical and violent. At that time, there was a sharp decline in the population - seven to eight thousand Russian citizens a year left the republic.

Lately, however, Caucasian Russians have been making a comeback. Experts attribute this to longing for a small homeland and the land of their ancestors, as well as a special Dagestan character. But they do not return in the same numbers as they left Dagestan: in ten years, only about five thousand people returned to their small homeland.

In addition, today the government pays special attention to protecting the interests and security of Russians in Dagestan. The number of cases of infringement of human rights on a national basis is gradually decreasing.

The linguistic composition of the inhabitants of Dagestan

Almost seven hundred thousand people speak the Avar language, about 420,000 people speak Dargin, and almost 380,000 citizens speak Kumyk. About 140,000 people know Laksky, almost 360,000 people know Lezgi. There are 500 people who speak Chamalin, 230 - Karata, more than 180 Botlikh, and only one citizen Ginukh. This is the data of the last All-Russian population census, which took place in 2010.

More than two and a half thousand Dagestanis constantly use the Russian language in Everyday life. From foreign languages, citizens singled out English, German, Arabic, French, Turkish, Persian, Hindi and Japanese. Two answered that they knew Esperanto.

Only Russian is used by almost half a million people, they know two languages - more than two million, three languages - 115 thousand, four languages - 10 thousand, five languages - only seventeen people.

Young Dagestan

More than thirty percent of the population of Dagestan are young people. The average age of Dagestanis does not even reach thirty years. Even less in Chechnya - twenty-five years. Demographers believe that this forecast will continue in the region for the next eighteen to twenty years. The difference between the age of the young population in Dagestan and the elderly people of the republic is almost fifteen years.

Finally

The 1990s had a severe impact on Dagestan, when the struggle for sovereignty that almost began broke the multinational region into dozens of small groups and did not lead to great casualties among the civilian population. They, of course, were. Echoes of that time are still felt by the society in the region and the demographic situation. But the population of Dagestan by nationality is still very diverse.

The arrival of Islam in Dagestan began with the city of Bab-al-Abwab. This was the Arabic name of the city of Derbent, which means "Gate of Gates". It was through these "gates" in approximately the 22nd year of Hijri (642) that the first messengers of the Muslim caliph entered Dagestan in order to introduce the local population to the true faith.

The process of introducing the peoples of Dagestan to Islam, which began in the 7th century, dragged on for almost 900 years and was basically completed by the end of the 16th century. The main distinguishing feature of this process is the fact that the peoples of Dagestan accepted Islam directly from the representatives of the Caliphate in the first years of its existence.

There are many facts confirming the opinion that the spread of Islam in Dagestan is a centuries-old process, and not a one-time action that quickly took place throughout Dagestan and established the position of a new religion for the inhabitants of the Land of Mountains.
Conventionally, two stages of that grandiose and fateful process can be distinguished: 1) the middle of the 7th century. - first half of the 10th c. and 2) the second half of the 10th century. – XV century. The adoption of Islam by the peoples of Dagestan became a powerful unifying factor that made it possible to develop a single nationwide idea.

Until about the 16th century, the spread of Islam went on in breadth, covering more and more new territories. In the following centuries, from the 16th to the 19th, the religious, legal and cultural ideas and traditions of Islam finally strengthened their positions and influence in all spheres of the life of the Dagestan society. Although the spread of Islam was uneven, it was nevertheless a very consistent process, covering one area after another.

In a number of areas, there have been cases of the return of the population to pre-Islamic cults and ideas. In everyday life, in the practice of family and marriage relations, Islamic principles influenced local customs, land and inheritance law, and literary creativity.

On the territory of Dagestan at that time there were a large number of early feudal independent state formations: Derbent, Serir, Lakz, Tabasaran, Gumik, Tuman, Filan, Khaidak, Zerekhgeran, the Khazar Khaganate, as well as many unions of rural communities. For example, the adoption of Islam in Derbent did not mean at all that the same thing happened in Lakz or Serir.

Derbent by that time occupied a more privileged position. It was a major administrative, political, cultural and ideological center. The first mosques were built here, and here many Dagestanis for the first time joined a new religion for themselves. If in the 9th century Derbent was mainly an Arab city, then in the 10th-11th centuries it acquired the status of a multi-ethnic city, where, according to the Arab author Abu Hamid al-Garnati, Arabs, Persians, Turks, Lezgins, Tabasarans, Avars, Laks constantly lived , Dargins, Kaitags, Kubachins, Ossetians.

In Derbent, the first Juma mosque of the 8th century in the CIS was built, which has survived to this day. The Arabs, who at the first stage spread Islam among the local population, were later replaced by the Dagestanis themselves: in the forefront of the propagandists of Islam were the inhabitants of Derbent, Tsakhur, Kumukh, Khunzakh.

Newspaper " islamic messenger»

Dagestan is a republic within multinational Russia, called the country of mountains, many languages and contrasts. The mountain people of Dagestan are representatives of more than a hundred nationalities, three religions, many language groups and local dialects.

Geography of the region

Dagestan is the southernmost and most mountainous republic of the Russian Federation. The Caucasian ranges occupy the main part of its territory, it is here that Bazarduzo, the highest mountain in Russia, is located. The peoples living in Dagestan are real highlanders. A small part of the lowland is located only in the northern part of the foothills. The east of Dagestan is washed by the waters of the Caspian Sea. On the territory of the republic there are about 6 thousand large, small and very small rivers and streams, of which 100 are classified as large rivers (only 20 of them reach the Caspian Sea). The most famous: Terek, Samur, Sulak.

The climate as a whole belongs to moderately warm, fluctuations in temperature regimes and the amount of precipitation depend on the altitude, remoteness from the sea, and the surrounding mountain ranges. Land lands are divided into plains, foothills and mountains. Their geography determines the main occupation of local residents.

The history of the region

The people of Dagestan has gone through such a difficult, eventful path in its historical development that full descriptions of it are not articles, but entire volumes. Some nationalities of the republic are associated with kinship with the Medes, the Hittites, the peoples of ancient Sumer. The first state, which included the territory of southern Dagestan, was Caucasian Albania, formed in the 5th century BC. Constant wars led to the fact that the lands passed from one state to another, rulers and religions changed. The gradual process of the formation of Dagestan as an unification of various nationalities was due to the need to unite small tribes to protect their lands from stronger enemies. Historically, the best flat lands were occupied by alien peoples: Arabs, Shiites, Sunnis. Originally local tribes were forced out into the mountains, but over time they all became related and substantiated their single Dagestan epic.

Some statistics

What will stingy numbers tell about Dagestan:

The territory of the republic is 50.3 thousand km 2.
Coastline - 530 km, total land borders - 1181 km.
The highest point is 4466 km, the average height above sea level is 1000 km.
The total population, according to the latest census, is 2125 thousand people.
The number of peoples of Dagestan is 102, of which 30 are indigenous.
The territorial division of the republic is 22 districts.
The population of rural areas is 69%.
Heroes of the Soviet Union (Dagestanis) - 49 people.

Peoples of Dagestan

The list of main nationalities looks like this:

Avars - 30% of the total population, mainly occupy the mountainous regions of western Dagestan.
Dargins - 17% of the ethnic group, traditionally settled in the mountains and foothills of the middle part of the republic.
Nogais - 16% of the population, the main residence is the Nogai steppe in the north of Dagestan.
Kumyks - 13% of the population, which occupies the Terk-Sulam lowland and the northern foothills.
Lezgins - 12%, places of settlement - mountains, foothills and plains of Southern Dagestan.
The Russian population of Dagestan, also belongs to the local population, occupies 7% of the population. Most Russians live in the capital Makhachkala and other cities and towns. Citizens among Russians make up 80%. Representatives of Russian rural residents are mainly Terek Cossacks, whose settlements are concentrated in the lower reaches of the Terek.
Laks are concentrated in the central part of the mountains and account for 5% of the ethnic composition.

Approximately 4% each, in the total number of such nationalities as Tabasarans, Turks (Azerbaijanis), Chechens. The number of the latter increased sharply after the outbreak of hostilities on the territory of the Chechen Republic. Tats (the people of Dagestan, who call themselves Dagestan Jews), Rutuls, Aguls, Tsakhurs, who live mainly in certain separate territories, make up an insignificant part of the Dagestan population.

In addition to indigenous groups, Uzbeks, Kazakhs, Ukrainians, Georgians, Tatars, Belarusians, Ossetians, and Persians who have lived here since birth consider themselves to be residents of Dagestan.

Language composition

Yes, such a variety of nationalities and nationalities on a relatively small piece of land is nowhere else in the world. Corresponding is the diversity of linguistic composition. There are only 30 indigenous languages in Dagestan. This is also unique to Dagestan. What other people can present to the world such a difference in languages, dialects and dialects with, in general, a united culture, customs, everyday traditions.

Linguists, together with historians, have identified the significant isolation of the villages from each other, associated with the geographical and climatic conditions of the mountainous area, as the main reason for the complex linguistic differences. The emergence of separate dialects was also facilitated by different religious preferences, political and social differences, isolation within individual clans.

According to the linguistic composition, the population of Dagestan is divided into three main groups:

North Caucasian family, Nakh-Dagestan branch (Avars, Dargins, Lezgins, Laks, Tabarasans, Rutuls, Aguls, Tsakhurs, Chechens).
Altai language family, Turkic group (Turks, Kumyks, Tatars, Nogais).
Indo-European language family (Russians, Ukrainians, Belarusians, Tats, Jews, Armenians).

Religious denominations

In terms of religious beliefs the modern people of Dagestan are mostly (90%) Sunni Muslims. But it was not always so. Back in the first century after the birth of Christ, the population of Caucasian Albania, and then all the Dagestanis, adopted Christianity, Islam was imposed on the Albanians as a result of a hundred-year war with the Arabs. But for many millennia, it was Islam that established itself not only in Dagestan, but also spread to other territories of the Caucasus. Another branch of Muslims is the Shiites, these are mainly Turks, to whom some Lezgin settlements also joined. Judaism is practiced by mountain Jews - Tats, while the Orthodox population, including adherents of the Armenian Gregorian Church, is 9%. There is no acute hostility towards non-Christians here, a mixture of languages and religions fosters tolerance for the religions of neighbors.

Big nations and small nations

Frequent questions about any multinational country or republic: "What is the main and most numerous people? Whose traditions and language prevail in the region?" AT this case it is difficult to answer them, for the reason that the peoples of Dagestan, the list of which is compiled in descending order of percentage to the total number, include several more ethnic groups, which give the total percentage of the nationality.

Avars, who make up a third of the population of the republic, are the common name for fifteen ethnic groups. The Andians, Archins, Akhvakhs, Bagulals, Bezhtins, Botlikhs, Ginukhs, Godoberins, Gunzibs, Didoys, Tindins, Karatas, Khvarshins, Tsezes, Chamaltys consider themselves to be Avars. 17% of Dargins are Kubachins and Kaitags. Here is such a Caucasian Babylon and Jerusalem.

The Tsakhurs are considered the smallest people in Dagestan, their number on the territory of the republic is about 10 thousand people. Most of the Tsakhurs live in Azerbaijan. This nationality in Dagestan settled in the most inaccessible high-mountain region - Rutulsky, the sources of the Samur River. The village of Tsakhur is considered the most ancient village of Dagestan, its history is rooted in the distant historical past, and the name is translated as "Burning village". Numerous hordes of conquerors repeatedly burned it to the ground, but the patient people restored the village again and again.

Customs and traditions

In countries where the leading religion is Islam, the entire life of society is subject to Sharia law, which in most cases is enshrined in law. The Caucasians, which include the people of Dagestan, call the customs and traditions that regulate almost all aspects of society's life the word "adat". The way of family life, relationships with neighbors, the rules of matchmaking and marriage, hospitality - everything is taken into account in the set of unwritten rules of the highlanders, intertwined with some dogmas of religion, but does not always correspond to legislative norms. If the rules for receiving guests, honoring elders deserve respect and praise, then the adat of blood feud is already contrary to state laws. Many traditions in modern Dagestan are gradually losing their relevance, but the laws of the ancestors are still strong in the local society.

Famous Dagestanis

The Republic of Dagestan, whose peoples are famous for their diligence, perseverance, courage and talents, has given the world many famous and worthy countrymen. Here are just a few names that are familiar to many:

Jamal Adzhigirey - wushu wrestler, actor.
Yusup Akaev - pilot, Hero of the Soviet Union.
Ali Aliyev - wrestler, five-time world champion.
Rasul Gamzatov - sings.
Mansul Isaev - judoka.
Musa Manarov - pilot-cosmonaut.

Muslims

The overwhelming majority of believers among the Nakh-Dagestan and Turkic peoples of the region are Muslims (Sunnis in the north, Shiites in the south), Mountain Jews profess Judaism, and Russian Orthodox Christianity.

Of course, Islam. Azerbaijanis, Chechens, Dagestanis, Ingush, Kabardians - they are all Muslims

in general, there is no nation Dagestan .. there are peoples of Dagestan .. and Jews live there, Muslims (Sunites, Shiites, Wahabis, Isamailis) have Christians, Hindus. . and somewhere, 49 nationalities

Up to 95% of believers are Muslims, including, according to various sources, from 1 to 4% are Shiites, the rest are Sunnis. About 5% of believers are Christians (mostly Orthodox). Mountain Jews, most of whom are now recorded as tatami, profess Judaism - about 1%

Main religion is Islam

there is no such nation as the Dagestanis, the majority of Muslims

Pre-Islamic beliefs of the peoples of Dagestan

One of the early cults was the worship of fire, which was given the meaning of purifying power. The pagan ritual of kindling fires passed as a folk custom in subsequent eras. Numerous solar signs have been preserved in many monuments, testifying to the worship of the sun. This is an image of the sun in the form of a disk with divergent rays, a swastika (an image of a cross inside the solar disk, which is the oldest sign personifying the sun).

Solar signs are found from the Mesolithic era and are found up to the early Middle Ages. Traces of worship of the sun are found in the religious ideas of individual peoples of Dagestan. In particular, in the pantheon of gods among the Laks, the sun god occupies one of the main places. He was represented as a beautiful young man, illuminating the whole world with his beauty. An interesting fact is that this image resembles ancient ideas about solar deities, which indicates certain cultural ties between the peoples of Dagestan and the ancient world, but in later eras.

With the emergence of a manufacturing economy and the increase in the importance of agriculture and cattle breeding in the life of ancient people, agrarian cults appear.

They are typical for many countries of the world that have experienced similar processes. The main cult of this period is the cult of fertility, which was revered in the form of a female deity.

The woman was a symbol of the constantly resurgent nature, her maternal strength. In many monuments of Dagestan, there are female clay figurines, personifying fertility. An important place among agricultural cults was occupied by the worship of domestic animals, in particular, the bull, which was the main draft force of that time. Worship of the bull is in contact with the common cult of arable land that existed among the ancient Dagestanis.

This is evidenced by clay reliefs depicting scenes of plowing and a bull. Interesting finds were found in the archaeological materials of the Upper Gunib settlement and they date back to the Bronze Age.

These are clay reliefs depicting scenes of arable land with harnessed bulls. All these cults testify to the stable settled way of life of the population of Dagestan. The cult of the hearth tells us the same thing. This is evidenced by the finds of various offerings near the hearths of the dwelling. The beliefs of ancient Dagestan are characterized by totemism. In many cultures, animals were considered patrons of people.

Thus, in some representations, the good spirit of the house and its guardian appear in the form of a snake.

The Avars of the Khunzakh region have a golden snake, the Laks have a snake with golden horns. There is also a white snake. According to folk legends, the brownie - the snake lives in the central pillar of the dwelling. The owners from time to time must appease the brownie with various gifts.

One of the early religious ideas was the belief in the afterlife, which is characteristic of all peoples at a certain stage of development. The ancient inhabitants of Dagestan had a custom to put various implements in the burials - household items, labor, weapons, as this could be useful to their owner in the afterlife.

There is also a custom to bury the dead in special burials resembling dwellings. During the transition period from bronze to iron, religious ideas are supplemented by new cults. The cult of ancestors is of great importance. According to the ideas of the Dagestanis, the deceased ancestors were the patrons of the hearth and protected the dwelling from evil spirits. During this period, the custom appears to hold feasts for the dead, as well as arrange sacrificial places near the graves. In the era of iron, the cult of this metal is of great importance.

The ancient Dagestanis carried weapons made of iron - axes, knives, because, according to their ideas, they drove away evil spirits. In this regard, the profession of a blacksmith and the veneration of representatives of this profession are of great importance. With the increasing importance of war, the cult of the horse also spreads.

In the Albanian era, the worship of heavenly bodies was also of great importance.

The main deity of Albania was the goddess of the moon. Temple areas and sacred groves were dedicated to her. Their remains were found in Southern Dagestan, in particular, in the Shalbuzdag region.

The priest of the goddess of the moon was the second person in the state, which also emphasizes the importance of this cult. Moon worship also existed in Dagestan. An old Kumyk proverb says: "The weight of the Moon will outweigh the Sun." There were also gods of the Sun, Fire, Earth in Albania. In ancient sources, they are called Greco-Roman names. The god of fire was called among the Albanians Alp. Some researchers believe that the name of the state also came from the name of this deity.

A deity with this name is found among the Lezgins.

Bishop Grigoris, sent from Armenia to Albania, tried to introduce the nomads - Maskuts and their king - Sanatruk to the new religion, but were unsuccessful.

Grigoris was captured and tied to the tail of a wild horse. Folk tradition connects the death of Grigoris with the village of Mola-Khalil, located near Derbent. During the reign of the Albanian king Vachagan III at the end of the 5th century. Christianity in Albania already had a strong position. Consequently, in Dagestan, his position was strengthened. The patriarchal throne (the residence of the catalikos - the Christian head of Albania) was located in the first half of the 6th century. in the Chora region (a region near Derbent), and then it was already transferred to Partav.

On the Verkhnechiryurt settlement, the remains of two early Christian churches were found, which date back to the 6th-8th centuries. Strengthening political ties with the neighboring states of Transcaucasia - Armenia and Georgia - played a big role in the process of spreading Christianity in Dagestan. Southern Dagestan was under the influence of the Armenian Church, and the western one was in the orbit of influence Georgian church. Christian missionaries penetrated into the regions of Dagestan, created their missions and seminaries here.

The success of the missionaries in the region of Southern Dagestan was associated with the strengthening of the influence of the Armenian kings on the political life of this part of Dagestan. Various methods were used in the process of Christianization of the local population. According to Georgian chronicles, the Georgian king Archil (668-718)

He forcibly converted "pagans" to Christianity, among whom were the Avars. Active activity christian church in Dagestan it is also associated with the name of the outstanding Georgian ruler - Queen Tamara.

The process of Christianization of Dagestan, as well as the strengthening of Georgian influence, is associated with the emergence of bilingual texts - bilingual, which testified to the growing cultural and political ties, as well as the attempts of local peoples to create their own script.

Religious representations of the peoples inhabiting the Khazar Khaganate are interesting. According to the Arab author al-Istarkhiya, the Khazars are Muslims, Christians and Jews. There are also idolaters among them. The smallest class is the Jews. The largest are Muslims and Christians. But the king and his entourage are Jews.

The adoption by the top of the Khazar Khaganate of such a religion, which is not widespread among the inhabitants of the state, pursued a purely political goal. Perhaps this was due to the unwillingness of the Khazar elite to fall under the influence of the powerful states of the Middle Ages - the Christian - Byzantium and the Muslim - Arab Caliphate. The traces of Judaism in Dagestan are thus very insignificant. As for Christianity, its positions were quite strong.

Written sources provide us with great help in determining the religious ideas of the inhabitants of medieval Dagestan. The well-known Arab author Ibn Ruste describes the funeral rite common among the inhabitants of Serir and gives interesting information about the religion of the population of this region of Dagestan. He writes that all the inhabitants of the fortress (obviously, the local nobility) are Christians, and all the rest of the inhabitants of the country are pagans.

Further, he describes the pagan rite of burial. “When someone dies,” he writes, “they put him on a stretcher and take him out into the open, where they leave him for three days. Then the inhabitants sit on horses and put on armor and chain mail.

They ride to the edge of the place and with their horses rush to the dead body on a stretcher. They circle around the stretcher, directing the horse at the body, but not piercing it. "The meaning of the action performed, described by the Arab author, is not entirely clear and is obviously associated with certain superstitions that existed among the medieval inhabitants of Serir.

Among the beliefs of medieval Dagestan, one should also mention the Iranian religion - Zoroastrianism, which spread here during the reign of the Sassanids.

Turning again to written sources, one should pay attention to the information again from the Arab author - Al-Andalusi al - Garnati. He describes a funeral rite common among the inhabitants of Zirikhgeran (Kubachi) in the 12th century. He writes: “When a person dies among them, and if he is a man, then they hand him over to men underground, who dismember the bones of the deceased, clean the bones from meat and collect ... meat and give it to be eaten by black crows.

If it is a woman, then the men underground...pull out her bones and give meat to kites."

The spread of Islam in Dagestan

The new religion turned into a powerful consolidating factor that contributed to the political, ideological and cultural unity of Arabia. The beginning of the sermons is associated with a native of the city of Mecca, Mohammed, who was born around 570. Mohammed belonged to a noble, but not rich family. The beginning of the sermons of the new religion dates back to about 610.

But this period was not successful for Mohammed. Few of his fellow citizens recognized him. Therefore, the prophet was forced to move to the city of Yathrib. Later, this city began to be called the "city of the prophet" or al-Madina.

The process of resettlement itself was called "hijra" (literally, eviction, emigration). The Hijra, which took place in 622, was recognized as the beginning of the Muslim chronology. Gradually, the positions of the new religion began to strengthen, and it soon replaced the agricultural pagan cults of the Arabian tribes.

The process of political unification of the Arabs, begun by Mohammed, ended with the creation of a new state - the caliphate, which was destined to play a big role in the historical destinies of many peoples. The rulers of the state received the title of Caliph.

Under the first three caliphs - Abu Bakr, Omar and Osman, the era of "great conquests" begins.

New territories were included in the caliphate. Moreover, for the peoples of some countries, the Arabs acted as deliverers from oppression. Thus, the common people of the Byzantine Empire and Iran saw the Arabs as saviors from the oppression of their feudal elite. The fact that the Arabs used more benign methods of exploiting the conquered peoples played an important role in this. In the process of conquests, the doctrine of "jihad" was developed - a holy war against the infidels, which also contributed to the success of Islamization.

In Muslim tradition, there is a division of lands into categories depending on their relationship to Islam. The territories of Islam are distinguished - Muslim countries under the rule of Muslim rulers; treaty territories - non-Muslim lands that pay a certain tribute to the Arabs, but retain their own internal order and war territories - lands that are at war with the Arabs.

Depending on the category of land, the policy of the Arabs in relation to them varied. The confessional status of the local population also played a certain role. In Islam, there was the concept of ahl al-kitab, i.e. "People of the Book" They included Christians and Jews. The attitude towards them was more tolerant, and they belonged to the category of the "protected" population.

Much more implacable was the attitude towards unbelievers and pagans. Dagestan, in which the pagan population prevailed, belonged to the territory of the war.

The process of Islamization in Dagestan covered a fairly long time period. It is customary to single out two periods of this long process.

The first covers the 7th - the first half of the 10th centuries. and is connected directly with the Arabs. The second stage continues from the second half of the 10th to the 16th centuries. These stages had certain differences both in the rate of spread and in those carriers who acted as conductors of the ideas of Islam in Dagestan.

The first Arab campaigns were not accompanied by violent Islamization. An important role here was played by the specific tax system adopted in the Arab Caliphate. The population of the conquered lands, who accepted Islam, was exempted from the poll tax, called jizya.

Jizya was paid by those locals who retained their former beliefs. Thus, the poll tax was a kind of payment for the religious tolerance of the Arabs.

The size of the poll tax was established by agreement. Women, old people, children, the poor, monk slaves, as well as Christians who fought on the side of the Arabs, were exempted from jizya. On the one hand, such a system of taxation gave a certain income to the treasury.

On the other hand, it served as a means of economic coercion to accept Islam.

Among the activities of Maslama was the resettlement of 24 thousand residents from Syria to the Derbent region. The numerous Arab population of the city and its environs significantly contributed to the strengthening of the position of Islam among the local population. The well-known historical chronicle "Derbent - name" describes the activities of Maslama to plant Islam in the conquered territories and not only in Derbent. According to the author of the chronicle, Maslama went to Kumukh, fought with the inhabitants, killed their head and defeated them.

He spared those who converted to Islam, and those who did not, killed those and divided their property among the fighters for the faith. Fighters for the faith, the so-called ghazi, were specially organized units that contributed to the spread of a new religion.

Similar events were repeated in Kaitag and Tabasaran. Turning to another authoritative author - al - Garnati, who visited Derbent in 1162, we again meet the name of Maslama. He reports that the inhabitants of Tabasaran converted to Islam under Maslam. Arab campaigns in Dagestan lasted until the 9th century. The power of the Arab state began to decline. The territories that were previously subject to them came out of the control of the Arabs. In fact, Dagestan also turned out to be independent. After the cessation of the Arab conquests, the position of Islam strengthened in the region of Derbent and in South Dagestan.

At the first stage of Islamization, the main part of the Dagestan lands retained their pagan beliefs. It is possible that even those units that converted to Islam under the Arabs returned to their former beliefs at the end of their campaigns. In a number of regions, especially mountainous Dagestan, the positions of Christianity were strong.

Geographically, the process of the spread of Islam in Dagestan was carried out from the southeast to the northwest. Moreover, it should be noted that at the first stage, Islam primarily spread among the rulers of the political associations of Dagestan.

The earliest refers to the VIII., and the next is already in 1044. This inscription contains a list of Muslim names and formulas. An analysis of gravestone inscriptions - epitaphs, allows us to conclude that the Muslims of Derbent are a significant force in the process of spreading Islam.

Judging by the inscriptions, those killed in the struggle for the faith receive the title of "shahid". Of great interest is the famous burial ground "Kirkhlyar" or "Sorokovnik", located 200 - 300 meters north of the northern gates of the Naryn fortress - kala. Local historical chronicles link this burial site of the 10th-13th centuries. with 40 fighters for the faith - ghazis who died in the fight against the infidels. This monument was revered as a Muslim shrine, and even now it has retained its significance as a sacred place.

During this period, Derbent acts not only as a religious center, but also as the center of the cultural life of medieval Dagestan. The importance of this city as a cultural and educational center is evidenced by the fact that in the XIII century. there were madrasahs. Madrasahs appear in other regions of Dagestan as well. In the village of Tsakhur at the end of the 11th century. madrasah was established. Soon Tsakhur becomes one of the major centers of Islamization and acts as a distributor of the ideas of Islam in neighboring regions.

The second stage of Islamization

At the second stage, the Turkic element played a significant role in the spread of Islam.

The penetration of the Turkic tribes into the territory of Dagestan was carried out both from the north and from the south. In the north they were Polovtsy, and in the south - Turks - Seljuks. During the reign of the Seljuk sultans, the territory of Southern Dagestan was under their control.

The Seljuks persistently spread the ideas of Islam in the conquered territories, as it was the state religion of the Sultanate. In the conquered countries, the Seljuks distributed significant land holdings to representatives of the nobility. This was used by the local feudal nobility, since being an adherent of the ideas of Islam meant having certain economic benefits.

The next wave of Turkic conquests is connected with the Mongols. But the first Mongol campaigns caused great harm to the positions of Islam in Dagestan.

Christianity in Dagestan

Especially after Bukdai's 1239 campaign against Derbent. The city was destroyed, and the importance of Derbent as a Muslim center was undermined. But gradually the city recovered, the destroyed mosques were built again. In addition, the ruling elite of the Golden Horde under Khan Berke (second half of the 13th century) itself converted to Islam. Khan Berke and his successors strongly supported the adoption of Islam by the inhabitants of the subject areas, including Dagestan.

Under the rule of the Golden Horde at that time was not only Derbent, but also the flat areas to the north of it. In the person of the Golden Horde khans, the Muslim clergy of the North Caucasus gained significant support.

Also, immigrants from Dagestan had a certain weight in the Golden Horde. The Arab traveler Ibn Batuta mentions the well-known scientist Suleiman al-Lakzi in the capital of the state, the city of Saray, obviously a native of Dagestan.

The next strengthening of the position of Islam in Dagestan is associated with the name of Timur.

Timur attached great importance to the religious factor and used it to his advantage. The Islamic factor acquired particular importance in the process of fighting his main political rival in the North Caucasus, the Golden Horde Khan Tokhtamysh. His historians presented Tokhtamysh as a pagan, "infidel". This averted the Muslim population of Dagestan from an alliance with him. Timur supported the local feudal nobility, who accepted Islam and submitted to it.

This is especially evident in Timur's attitude towards the clergy and rulers of the accident and Kazi-Kumukh. During this period, Islam was widely spread among the inhabitants of Kumukh. The inhabitants of the accident at that time had both pagan and Christian and Muslim beliefs.

Nizametdin Shafi, Timur's court historiographer, reported that Timur supported the "Gazikumukh and Aukhar Kalantars" in the fight against the infidels. Representatives of the local nobility were called Kalantars.

The Aukharian Kalantars, obviously, are a layer of the ruling elite of Avaria. Georgian chronicles preserved information about Timur's actions to strengthen the position of Islam in Avaria. According to this historical source, Timur conquered the "Lezgins" (in this context, the Avars), who were previously Christians, and seduced them into Mohammedanism either by flattery or threats, and appointed mullahs from the Arabs, who obliged them to teach Lezgin children writing in Arabic.

He even issued strict orders that people should not learn to read or write in Georgian. Thus, Timur attached great importance to the spread of Islam in the mountainous Dagestan. But Christianity did not want to give up its positions here, just as the Georgian kings did not want to lose their influence. Therefore, the confrontation between Islam and Christianity takes on the most violent forms here. At the end of the XIII - XIV centuries.

Islam finally gained a foothold in Central Avaria, and Khunzakh became the center of Islamization for neighboring regions.

Another issue is Timur's attitude to the Dargin regions.

The Islamization of Dargin societies, in particular, Kaitag, begins at the end of the 10th century. and proceeds at a rapid pace. Numerous Kufic inscriptions found in Urkarakh, Kalakoreish speak in favor of the spread of Islam in these areas. There is also other evidence of the spread of Islam among the Dargins. In particular, we can say that in 1306

with the participation of Sheikh Hassan Suhraverdi, who arrived from Iran, the inhabitants of Kubachi accept Islam. But in the annals of Timur, the inhabitants of Ushkudzh (Akushi), Kaitag. Zirichgeran are called "infidels".

This was done for political reasons, since it was here that Timur ran into fierce resistance. The spread of Islam here by the time of Timur's arrival is documented.

But Timur significantly expanded and approved the spread of Islam here and in general in Dagestan. Last but not least, Islam in Dagestan is accepted by residents of the extreme north-western regions inhabited by Didoi, where the influence of Georgia was strongest and Christianity had a stable position.

In the process of Islamization, there are two most important factors that played a big role in its spread in Dagestan.

First of all, this is an external factor, since Islam penetrated the territory of Dagestan during the conquests. Successive conquerors - first the Arabs, then the Turks, Timur, the Safavids created a continuous Muslim stream that flooded into Dagestan. At some point, this factor was of decisive importance.

But then the internal factor comes to the fore. The appearance in Dagestan of local Muslim centers, which themselves act as conductors of the ideas of Islam in the conquered territories. Derbent, Tsakhur, Akhty, Kumukh, Khunzakh, Kalakoreish and others become such centers. The process of Islamization of Dagestan continued into the 15th century. It was accompanied by the construction of mosques, schools, the spread of the Arabic language and writing.

Arabic-language literature is gaining great popularity. Gradually, Dagestan is drawn into the orbit of the influence of the Muslim East and the richest Islamic culture, which has great achievements in Dagestan.

RELIGION AND CULTURE, PROGRESS OF ISLAM

mausoleums

Kazakhstan and Zhetysu had mosques.

Mosques

ü These are Islamic temples in which Muslims gather to worship Allah, as well as to

performing Islamic rites.

ü According to written Arabic, Persian sources, already in the 10th century in cities Southern

ü Minaret Boran built at the end of the 10th or the beginning of the 11th centuries in Zhetysu.

ü When excavating the city Kuyryktobe remains of the most early mosque.

ü The remains of the mosque were also found during the excavations of the ancient settlement of Ornek near Taraz.

ü Covered monumental tomb structures.

ü Mausoleums Babaja-Khatun and Aisha-Bibi, erected in the X-XII centuries, located 18 km

west of the city of Taraz.

o According to the legend Arystan-Bab(saint) was the mentor of Khoja Ahmed Yassaui.

ü They make a pilgrimage to the grave of the saint, and prayers are read here.

ü Mausoleum Babaji-Khatun built in the X-XI centuries.

ü This is a domed building made of baked bricks, covered with a tent-shaped dome.

ü Mausoleum Aisha Bibi partially preserved.

ü The time of the construction of the mausoleum - XI-XII centuries.

ü The dome was destroyed.

ü The outer walls of the mausoleum are completely covered with various terracotta tiles.

ü In the Middle Ages, the construction of baths received significant development in architecture.

ü In the city of Otrar, the remains of two Eastern baths of the XI-XII centuries.

ü Area - 11.5 × 16.5 m.

ü Wastewater was discharged through pipes to the outside into the intake pit.

ü To the south of the bathhouse there were two laundry outbuildings.

ü There was a tandoor (hearth) in one room.

ü Here, apparently, tea was prepared for visitors.

ü The second bath in Otrar was located in the northern part of the city, 200 meters from the entrance to the city.

ü Judging by its primitiveness, it was intended for simple, poor people.

ü In Otrar, well water was used for baths.

ü Two baths were excavated in Taraz.

ü The first, measuring 13.4 × 12.4 m, had 7 rooms for various purposes.

ü The system of heat-conducting channels, seating sufas, water troughs,

niches, polychrome paintings.

ü The second, eastern bath operated in the city of Turkestan until the 60s of the XX century.

ü It was located next to the mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yassaui.

ü It has now been turned into a museum.

ü These two baths were provided with water coming through the canal from the mountains.

ü According to the project of oriental baths, the Arasan bathhouse was built in Almaty.

ü In the south and south-east of Kazakhstan (Zhetysu), among the residents of cities there were

various religious beliefs are widespread

ü Judging by the sources, the cult of the ram was widespread in the Syrdarya region.

ü He is associated with the Zoroastrian Faun.

ü Faun- the god of fields and forests, the patron of herds, giving abundance, happiness, health, protecting

from evil spirits in the house.

ü The cult of the ram was widespread among the Oguzes and Turkmens.

ü Even the Oguzes associated their origin with the veneration of the ram as the patron of the clan and tribes.

ü The ram acted as a sacrificial animal and a talisman - a totem.

ü During excavations near the Syrdarya medieval cities, dishes with images of

ram with horns.

ü One of the types of religious beliefs in the Middle Ages was the worship of fire.

ü In the cities of Kuyryktobe and Otrar, archaeologists discovered richly decorated hearths (XI-XII centuries).

ü fire worship Kazakhs and Kyrgyz associated with the sacred Umay ana.

ü Among the Kazakh people, the veneration of fire and worship of it can be traced by such

superstitions like “do not spit on the fire”, “do not step on the place where the fire burned”, “do not step over the fire”, etc.

ü In Zhetysu, despite the spread of Islam, Zoroastrianism, Christianity

Nestorian, Buddhism.

ü During the excavations of the ancient settlement of Aktobe, the remains of a winery owned by

Nestorian Christians.

The concept of Zoroastrianism as a religious movement, its appearance in Dagestan and features of distribution. The custom of exposing the dead on the tops of the mountains, its characteristics.
Customs in antiquity and today. Elements of the doctrine of the Zoroastrians and their features.

Students, graduate students, young scientists who use the knowledge base in their studies and work will be very grateful to you.

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MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND SCIENCE OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION

FSBEI HPE “DAGESTAN STATE UNIVERSITY”

FACULTY OF INFORMATION SCIENCE AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES

on the topic: "Zoroastrianism in Dagestan"

Completed by: Gadzhieva A.M.

Checked by: Abasova A.A.

Makhachkala 2015

Introduction

Appearance in Dagestan

Literature

Introduction

Zoroastrianism is a religious movement named after its legendary founder, the prophet Zoroaster (Zarathushtra), which was formed and emerged in Eastern Iran at the turn of the 7th-6th centuries.

In the literature, there is another name for this religion - Mazdeism, which received the name of the supreme Iranian god Ahura Mazda (Ormuzd), personifying the "bright, good beginning", forever fighting with the deity of the "evil beginning" Angro Mainyu (Ahriman) for the victory of good over evil, light over darkness. The basis for Zoroastrianism was the ancient Iranian mythology, which was reflected in the sacred book of revelations of the ancient Iranians - the Avesta, which consisted of two parts: Yashta and Gata.

The latter has a philosophical character, it is in it that the foundations of religion are set forth. Zoroastrianism is dualistic in nature: it is a doctrine of the struggle of two antagonistic cosmic principles - Good and Evil.

The founder of Zoroastrianism is the ancient Iranian prophet Zoroaster (Zarathushtra, Zarathustra). Until now, it has not been finally established who this person really was.

Also not known exact time his life. In Soviet historical science, for a long time it was believed that Zoroaster did not exist at all. However, this provision has now been revised.

zoroastrianism religious dagestan custom

The emergence of Dagestan

The religious thought of the ancestors of the modern peoples of Dagestan has been developing since ancient times in conditions of constant contacts with the cultures of the countries of the Middle East.

Southern Dagestan was included in the Sasanian Iran as a separate governorship. The Persians created here a whole network of military settlements with a center in the city of Derbent. Iranian governors - marzbans (Persian "guardians of the borders"), erected grandiose defensive structures here to protect the northern borders of the empire, and also spread the state religion of then Iran - Zoroastrianism.

In medieval Dagestan, the Zoroastrian religion was most widespread in the historical region of Zirikhgeran - p.

Zirikhgeran (Persian “shell-makers”) and the villages closest to it. Amuzgi (Pers. "student") and Sulevkent. Much later (in the XIV century) with. Zirikhgeran changes its name to the Turkic "Kubachi" with the same meaning of the word.

With. Kubachi, (Dagestan, Russia)

The spread of Zoroastrianism here is evidenced by medieval authors - al-Garnati, al-Kazvini, the chronicles of vardapet Yeghishe "On the War of Vardan and the Armenian War", "On the Teachings of the Persian Magi" by Yeznik and "The History of the Country Aluank" by Movses Kalankatuatsi, which describes in detail the opposition of Zoroastrianism and Christianity in Caucasian Albania.

The Zoroastrian cult and the pantheon of gods in Dagestan acquired local features over time.

A number of lexemes related to Zoroastrianism are found in folklore. One of them is "yariman", found in Avar poetry, it serves to designate an evil, dark character. Research allows to identify it with the Zoroastrian "Ahriman".

The most terrible curse among the Dagestanis was and remains the expression: "May your hearth go out."

It was not recommended to extinguish the fire, and with the onset of darkness - to transfer the fire from the hearth. Solemn rituals were associated with fire: new houses were illuminated by fire. It was forbidden to set fire to sewage, to spit in the fire.

It was possible to correct the fire in the sacred bowl and in the hearth only with the help of special tongs.

Survivals directly related to Zoroastrianism include the ideas of the peoples of Dagestan about Tursha - the star Sirius (in the Avesta - Tishtriya).

According to these ideas, with the appearance in the sky, in the dry season (about August 12-15), the stars of Sirius undergo significant changes in the weather associated with the heavy rain of Tursha.

The famous Caucasian ethnographer E. M. Schilling in the book “Kubachins and their culture. Historical and ethnographic studies" notes that "folklore data and earlier information speak of the spread in the villages.

Kubechi of Christianity, and even earlier of Zoroastrianism. In the middle of the XIX century. Academician H. D. Fren wrote in his article “On the people of the Caucasus “Kubechi” that this people “was not alien to the Parsi religion.”

The Russian archaeologist A. S. Uvarov (1825-1884) was also interested in the issues of the survivals of Zoroastrianism among the Kubachins. He attributed the inhabitants of the village to "a tribe completely alien to other Dagestan tribes." Speaking further about the Kubachins, he notes that they “once lost a bull, which was later found in the place where their aul now stands.

Since such a find of a bull was repeated three times, the Kubachi understood this as an indication made by them from heaven and moved to the designated place. “This bull,” notes A.S. Uvarov, considered by the Kubachi as a heavenly omen, recalls the primeval Bull, from which, according to the teachings of Zarathushtra, all the fruits of the earth originated. Therefore, concludes A.

S. Uvarov, “Kubachi adhered to Mazdeism.”

Another of the survivals of Zoroastrianism among the Kubachins is the veneration of the dog. According to Muslim tradition, the dog is one of the unclean animals and the contact of a Muslim with it is not allowed in order to avoid defilement. In the beliefs of the Kubachins, the opposite is true: it was believed that a dog is a clean animal that saves from all sorts of troubles, so you need to take care of it. It cannot be killed and a person must feed it until natural death.

In the event that an angry or rabid dog appeared in the village, causing great harm and it was necessary to get rid of it at all costs, then it was killed for a small fee (on the part of the person concerned) by the poor or beggar.

The murder was committed exclusively outside the village.

The Kubachins had a particularly respectful attitude towards the “four-eyed” dog, that is, having two spots above the eyes, since, according to legend, it protects its owner and his house from evil forces.

the custom of exposing corpses on the tops of mountains among local residents is described by an author of the 9th century.

What is the faith of the Dagestanis? Who do they believe in Jesus or someone else?

al-Masudi: “when one of them dies, they put him on a stretcher and take him out to an open place, maidan, where they leave him for three days on a stretcher… This custom has existed among the inhabitants of this city for 300 years.”

The last remark allows us to connect the appearance of this rite with the reign of the Sassanids. On the fourth day, the gravediggers placed the remains in rock crypts or in stone boxes (astodans).

Relatively recently, near the city of Derbent, a ossuary - astodan - was opened. Astodans were also found on the Miskinbulat upland. Sixteen stone tombs carved into the rock were found near the village of Karamakhi.

In the Dagestan State United Historical and Architectural Museum, № 1264, there is a rod with a bull's head, which is held by a mobed during worship.

These and other surviving relics, as well as the remains of burial structures, testify that Zoroastrianism, which penetrated into Zirikhgeran in the early Middle Ages, occupied a fairly strong position here.

As follows from medieval historical documents, from the second half of the VI century.

n. e. Derbent becomes one of the strongholds of Christianity in the Eastern Caucasus and the main center of the struggle against the followers of the teachings of Zarathushtra.

In the 7th century Zoroastrianism was attacked by another religion - Islam. The Arab caliph Omar, contrary to his promises, ordered the destruction of all fire temples. By the 9th century almost all fire temples were destroyed, and by the end of the century, Zoroastrianism finally lost its positions in Dagestan.

Customs in antiquity and today

There are currently over 200,000

up to 2.5 million Zoroastrians, their number is constantly decreasing. In Russia there were 40 of them in 1994. An important element The doctrine of the Zoroastrians, and hence the Parsis, is the idea that the universe consists of four elements: air, water, earth and fire.

Of all the elements, fire has a special dignity and therefore deserves reverence. They worship him in the temples "Dar-e mehr" - the temple of fire.

According to the precepts of the Parsis, 4 elements cannot be defiled. The most terrible form of defilement is the contact of the elements with dead flesh - the corpse of a person. Therefore, the dead should not be buried ("defilement of the earth"), nor burned ("defilement of fire and air"), nor thrown into a river or sea ("defilement of water").

And if the dead cannot be buried or burned, then what to do? The ancient Zoroastrians came up with a way: to give the corpses to be torn apart by vultures.

Zirikhgeran also preserved material traces of the spread of the teachings of Zarathushtra - dakhma - a special kind of burial structures for exhibiting the corpses of the dead.

Behind the village of Kubachi, on the tops of the mountains, there are several kurgan-shaped artificial hills, which are considered enchanted places. The height of one of the hills is 5 m, the diameter at the base is 12 m. The hill is surrounded by a ditch and a swollen rampart more than one meter high. At the top there is a flat platform with a diameter of 4.5 m. Another kurgan-shaped hill has a height of 3.6 m, a base diameter of 24 m. There is also a flat platform with a diameter of 8 m on its top. To the north of the village of Amuzgi there is also an artificial kurgan-shaped hill, similar to Kubachi.

This happens even today in special structures - "dahmas", also called "Houses of Vultures" in Urdu and Hindi.

In the West, they are known as "towers of silence", "dahmas" - round massive towers without a roof, the center of which is empty and forms a large well. There are sections for children, men and women. When the body is laid down, the vultures flock and quickly devour them to the bone. Dried skeletons are thrown into the well only twice a year. At "dahma" there are chapels - "sagri", where they pray. The chapel consists of two halls - open, where prayers are said, and closed, where the fire burns.

In some places, i.e. In cities such as Karachi, there is an organization that oversees their interests - the Parsi Society, chaired by businessman Bayram Avarii. The Avaria family is famous throughout Pakistan. There are Parsis known all over the world: the conductor Zubin Mehtu and the husband of Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, Ferez Gandhi.

The former Pakistani ambassador to the UN, Jamshed Marker, born in 1922, is also a Parsee and is the oldest Pakistani diplomat.

Since the Pakistani government does not give permission for the construction of new dakhmas in Karachi, the Parsis have come up with a new way to bury the dead.

They are walled up in a concrete block. The body of the deceased is placed in a wooden box, and then poured with liquid concrete. When the concrete hardens, the body is tightly and forever squeezed into a solid mass and the danger of contact with the four "elements" disappears.

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The largest mosque in Russia will be laid on March 8 in Dagestan

In Makhachkala on March 8, the foundation was laid for the largest mosque in Russia for 50,000 seats, the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of the republic reported.

The initiator of the construction was Spiritual Administration Muslims (DUMD), construction will be financed through donations from philanthropists, Magomedrasul Saaduyev, imam of the Juma Mosque of Makhachkala, told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

“The city administration has already allocated us a site in the Reduktorny settlement, on the southern outskirts of Makhachkala, between the old and new Caspian highways, but the project documentation is not yet ready,” he explained.

According to him, “on March 8, a majlis will be held at the construction site of the mosque - a solemn gathering of Muslims dedicated to laying the foundation.”

“Construction itself will begin later, when the necessary design and permit documentation is ready.

Religion in ancient and medieval Dagestan

It will be funded by donations. We have not yet turned to the government for help, but we hope that it will not remain aloof from a good deed,” the imam said.

According to Saaduyev, the mosque will be built on the model of the prophet's mosque in Medina. “It is planned that this will be the largest mosque in Russia, and not only in Russia, with a capacity of about 50,000 parishioners.

The appearance, design, interior will repeat the Medina mosque of the Prophet Muhammad,” Magomedrasul Saaduyev noted.

Source

Brief history of Derbent

Derbent, or rather Darband, which in translation from the Persian language literally means "knot, connection, constipation of the gate." Muslims 1400 years ago this city was called Babul Abwab ("Gate Gate") - a city with a mysterious name and rich history, which according to legend was founded by the Prophet Ibrahim (AS).

In historical books like "Derbend-name", Gyulistan-i Iram, etc.

it is said that, at the direction of Angel Jabrail (a.s.), Iskender Zul Qarnayn (Alexander the Great) built a wall and a rampart in this place, one edge of the Iskender wall reached the Black Sea. In the people, it is still called Seddi Iskender (Alexander's Barrier). The Qur'an says: “And when he (Dhul Qarnayn) reached the sunset, he saw that it rolled into a fetid source and found people around him.

Then he followed the path. And when he reached the rising of the sun, he found that it was rising over people for whom we had not made any veil of it. They said: “O Dhul Qarnayn, indeed Yajuj and Majuj spread wickedness on the earth; Shall we not set a tax for you, so that you can set up a barrier between us and them?

He said, “That in which my Lord has strengthened me is better; help me by force, I will put a barrier between you and them. Bring me pieces of iron."

And when he leveled between the two slopes, he said: “Inflate!”. And when he turned it into fire, he said, "Bring it to me, I'll pour red-hot metal on it." And they could not climb this (barrier) and could not make a hole in it. 83-97

The erected barrier is the Derbend wall, on which a lot of iron was used. Derbent is still called Demir-Kapu (Iron Gates). The two opposing objects are the Caspian Sea and the mountains, or the two seas - the Caspian and the Black.

The fate of this city is unusual and amazing: having arisen in ancient times, it has existed to this day, retaining its ancient appearance despite countless assaults and destruction, its name - although each nation called these "gates" in its own way (only in written sources they are recorded more than twenty), their original culture - although here the cultures of many eras and peoples came into contact and were transformed.

It is difficult to find another such city that would know so many invasions and stormy historical events, so many times served as a bone of contention and an arena of bloody struggle, passed from hand to hand, fell under the power of the conquerors and again sought independence, experienced ups and downs, flourishing and desolation.

It was claimed by Rome and Parthia, Iran and Byzantium, the Arab Caliphate and the Khazar Khaganate, the Seljuk state and the Golden Horde, the power of the Safavids and Sultan Turkey.

Babul Abwab was the center of Muslim culture and the most important military-strategic point of the Caliphate on its northern borders. Babul Abvab, with the power of his walls, securely locked the narrow Derbent passage, protecting the country from the raids of the Khazars, Alans and other unbelievers. It was also known as one of the most important sea ports of the Caspian Sea and the largest Sufi center.

In this city at all times faith and love reigned among the peoples.

There are a lot of descriptions and legends about the arrival of the religion of Islam in the city of Babul Abwab.

The historian Ibn-Kesir in his "History of the Beginning and the End" writes that the penetration of Islam into the Dagestan outskirts began according to one story in the reign of 'Umar Ibn Khattab (r.a.) in 643 or in 22 AH, and according to another story in the reign of 'Uthman Ibn Affan (r.a.) in 32 AH.

In "Derbend-name" it is said that many close associates of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) heard from him that Babul Abwab is a blessed and holy land and on the preservation of which the tranquility of the entire south depends, and that one who only strives for it protection, he receives the blessing of the Almighty.

Also, the following two hadiths are transmitted in historical books, which, however, according to the conditions of science according to hadiths, are not reliable, because.

It is narrated from Anas bin Malik that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “The hidden will be revealed to you, the city will be opened, its name is Babul Abwab, who lives there 40 days and 40 nights, Allah will forgive his former sins, and if he will die in this city, as if he would die at the Gates of Paradise, and staying there is better than constant pilgrimage.

From Ibn ‘Abbas r.a.

It is reported that the Prophet (s.a.w.) said: “The city of the Khazar country, its name is Babul Abwab, will open from my Ummah, this city is located between large walls, the plan of which was drawn by the angel Jibril, and the foundation of the fortress was laid by Zulqarnain.

In a hadith, from the book of Imam Rafi'i "Faydul qadir" it is transmitted that the Prophet (saw) said: "Make gazavat on Kyazvin (Dagestan), truly it is from the highest Gate of Paradise."

In a commentary on the hadith, Imam Rafi’i (r.) writes that this place is truly barakat and holy, and in the akhirah it will become the most worthy place in Paradise, it is not worthy of being a place for infidels.

In accordance with this legend, in the year 41 of the Hijri (664), Salman ibn Rabi'a al-Bakhili (r.a.), from among the close associates of the Prophet (s.a.v.), with 4000 selected troops moved To Derbent, which in At that time, the Khazars owned, intending to carry out jihad.

For five days the battle continued without an advantage in either direction; on the sixth day, the leader of the Khazars announced to the army that if any of them returned from the battle without success, then he himself would kill him. For their part, the Muslims also decided to die on the spot. Salman ibn Rabi'a (r.a.), with forty warriors who doomed themselves to death, rushed forward. A stubborn battle ensued and several tens of thousands of Khazars died, but Salman ibn Rabi'a and his 40 comrades, doomed to death, fell on the spot.

Their graves, called Kyrkhlyar (Forty Martyrs), are located north of Derbent and are now a place of pilgrimage for believers.

After these events, Sheikh Abu-Muslim (r.a.), the great-grandson of the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.v.), arrived in Dagestan, who spread the religion of Islam in Dagestan.

When Abu Muslim established himself in Dagestan, he built ten mosques in different parts of Southern Dagestan.

rebirth

The beginning of the creation of the religious organization "Babul Abwab" is primarily associated with the name of the respected Sheikh Sirazhutdin Efendi al-Huriki.

Already in 1992, with the help of the rector of the Islamic Institute named after Imam Shafii, Sheikh Murtuzali-Haji Karachaev, the ustaz managed to open a branch in the village of Khurik.

In the first years after the opening of the institute, teachers and students experienced many difficulties: crowding, lack of adapted premises, lack of textbooks, etc. In subsequent years, the Sheikh's students built a more comfortable building with ablution and dhikr for the institute, it was provided with everything necessary for conducting the educational process . Of course, all this required a lot of effort and money.

Even before the creation of the Babul Abwab organization, there were many difficulties, and the first attempt was made in the city of Derbent, where in 1996 the administration allocated premises near the northern bus station and the city market for Islamic studies.

This was the first attempt to create an Islamic center in the city and throughout South Dagestan and return society to the faith and Islamic values that were lost during the communist regime. In 1997, a site was allocated for the construction of a mosque, where in the same year its construction began.

faith in Dagestan

The mosque was named after the old name of the city of Derbent "Babul Abvab" and on the same place established the social and religious organization "Babul Abvab". The murids of Sheikh Sirazhutdin Efendi al-Khuriki were mainly involved in the construction, who, simultaneously with their studies, were building a mosque.

As a result of the construction of the Islamic center, specialists in many professions have grown up, such as teachers of Arabic and Islamic sciences, tinsmiths, carpenters, welders, plasterers, puttyers, masons, electricians, etc.

In 1998, the Babul Abwab religious organization was officially established. In 1999, a branch of the Islamic University of the Republic of Dagestan named after A.I. Imam Shafi. And on the basis of this branch in 2007, an independent Islamic institution was opened, the first in South Dagestan, the Islamic University.

Abdullah Efendi.

The building of the university is expanded every time, if necessary, and an additional floor is erected. All work here is done with the participation of teachers, students and volunteers from the outside, who came to help for the sake of Allah. All this assistance was rendered out of respect for Ustaz Sirazhudin Efendi al-Huriki, the desire to help him in his noble aspirations. All work was supervised by Sheikh Sirazhudin Efendi al-Huriki himself.

Today it is a center that includes a mosque for worship with a capacity of up to 1200 people, an Islamic university with a computer class and a madrasah.

More than 150 students study at the university in full-time, part-time and individual studies, with three free meals a day and a hostel for visitors. There are shops - carpentry, tin, auto repair - welding, sewing, car wash, for students to receive, in addition to religious education, and secondary - special, with the receipt of an applied profession. On the territory there is a large assembly hall for conferences, meetings, meetings and weddings, as well as a gym where judo, freestyle wrestling and boxing sections work.

Those who studied and worked in this center are now the chairmen of the imams of the regions of Southern Dagestan, ordinary imams and muezzins of mosques in the villages and cities of Southern Dagestan.

People often come to the masters who live in the organization with their orders.

In their free time from construction, they help the population. There is a hostel for singles, food is also organized here.

With the help of this organization, many people found the true faith and took their rightful place in society. The mosque and its organization help the disadvantaged find their place in society, take care of orphans, lonely, helpless old people. Its daily functioning demonstrates the only true way to overcome negative trends in the development of society.

The organization also deals with the issues of providing teachers and specialists of the Islamic center with housing.

Previously, behind the building of the organization there was a wasteland where garages were located. Now this territory is at the disposal of the organization. The garages were bought by family students of the university and houses were built on the site of the garages to live next to the organization.

Currently, more than thirty families live in our houses.

The religious organization makes a great contribution to public life to preserve interfaith and interethnic peace and harmony in the Republic of Dagestan, and this serves to strengthen the state, as well as strengthen faith in our Creator. For these efforts, the Babul Abwab Muslim community was repeatedly awarded with letters of thanks.

The organization "Babul-Abwab", created for the formation and education of the human soul, for the moral and spiritual education of young people, as we see, today protects, increases and preserves traditional Islam. Satisfies the spiritual needs of every person, strengthens the cultural and moral foundations of the whole society, involving those new, young cadres to participate in all public and cultural events organized by state, public and religious organizations of our multi-confessional country, and which today has become a forge for the training of spiritual personnel traditional Islam for the whole of Dagestan.

Also, the university pays great attention to teaching and shaping the issue of the relationship of husband and wife in the family, the upbringing and behavior of a believer in all sectors of society and with representatives of various faiths, as well as clarifying Sharia norms at the present stage of development of our society.

organization since 2005.

a monthly newspaper "Islam in South Dagestan" is published, which complements the great work of formation and development spiritual man in our difficult times.

Socio-spiritual newspaper “HERITAGE” began to appear, the purpose of which is to show the joint work of religious organizations, Islamic and secular educational institutions, public and youth organizations, councils of imams and heads of administrations.

University students actively participate in discussions in the worldwide information network - the Internet.

Official own two sites, personal blogs and registration in social sites - and this is just the beginning.

At the center, a travel company "Derbent - Tour" is also open, which deals with issues of the Hajj, religious tourism and halal tours.

Students from districts and cities of the Republic of Dagestan, the Republic of Ingushetia, Northern Azerbaijan, and from different regions of Russia study at the university.

Since 1999, every year, for the sake of uniting Muslims, for the sake of spreading traditional Islam, as a religion of peace, goodness and to strengthen civil harmony in the republic, the Babul Abwab Islamic Educational Center, on the birthday of the Prophet Muhammad, may Allah bless him and welcome, holds an all-republican mawlid, where guests come from all over Russia, near and far abroad.

The Muslim spiritual mentor Sheikh Sirazhudin Efendi al Khuriki and his school restored and restored dozens of old destroyed mosques and built many new mosques in different parts of southern Dagestan.

Ustaz was always aware of how things were going at the construction of new mosques, how the old ones were being repaired, constantly personally visited the facilities, followed the work of the craftsmen, knew at which facility there was a need for building materials, where cement was needed, where there were not enough boards, where sand reserves.

And he kept up with the necessary materials for all construction sites.