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RussiaWhat to Expect and Is It Worth Visiting
Datong Temple is a medieval Christian church built in the IX-XI centuries, one of the most famous architectural and iconic sights of Dagestan. It is located in a gorge and is surrounded on three sides by the Andichtlar River. Well preserved, you can go inside freely. We advise you to visit the Datun Temple on the way to two other famous sights of Dagestan - abandoned villages of Goor and Kahib.
The temple was built by Georgian preachers during the spread of Christianity in Dagestan, but the exact date is unknown, and therefore it dates back to the IX-XI centuries. It existed for three centuries and was abandoned. During the Caucasian War (1817-1864), the leader of the liberation movement for the freedom of the peoples of the North Caucasus from the influence of the Russian Emperor, Imam Shamil, allowed the soldiers of the Christian faith who went over to his side to use the ancient Temple for their intended purpose.
Today there are no divine services held in the temple, but they are looking after it: inside you will see small icons and candle stubs. Now this place has become a popular attraction and its visit is included in tourist sightseeing routes. A small market with souvenirs has been formed near the temple, you can drink tea, there are activities such as archery, photos in traditional clothes, minting commemorative coins.
The temple certainly deserves a visit, but only if time and weather allow you. The fact is that you will have to walk along the gorge to get to the temple from the parking lot. It is not far and not difficult, but you will have to walk 5-10 minutes along the trail, and then cross a stormy mountain river on a small swing bridge. During heavy rains, the water level in the river rises, and this bridge can go under water and even wash away. And then there is no way to get to the temple, but you can only look at it from afar.
🕐 Working hours
Around the clock.
💵 Entrance fee / ticket price
Free of charge.
🚶 How to get there
The Datun temple is located 163 kilometers from Makhachkala and 202 kilometers from Derbent near the village of Datun, a good asphalt road leads here from the coast (temple on the map). There is a sign at the entrance to the temple, but the parking space is not equipped, and the roadsides on the road are very narrow. If there is no parking space near the entrance to the path to the temple, you will have to leave the car further down the road and walk. Next will be the entrance to the trail in the form of a gate. Usually these gates are closed, but this does not mean that it is impossible to enter the trail, just try to open them (the gate). Then follow the trail for 5-10 minutes to the bridge over the river, and on the other side you will see a temple and stalls with souvenirs. Once again, we remind you that it is dangerous to cross this bridge after or during heavy rains, because it can be washed away.
💥 We remind you that it is much more interesting to get acquainted with the sights of Dagestan with the help of excursions, and therefore we advise you to look at online booking options on these proven search and price comparison sites: