Derbent: 15 places that every guest of the city must see

We have visited all, or almost all, the sights of Derbent, and we tell you about it in detail and honestly. You will find out what is definitely worth seeing in Derbent, opening hours and the price of visiting attractions, how to get to them yourself and where they are on the map. Be sure to read everything, because there is no other such detailed and honest guidebook anymore 😉. Well, if you still have any questions or just want to talk about holidays in Dagestan, join 💬 to our useful chat about holidays in Dagestan.

A city that is older than many world civilizations, Derbent today is an amazing fusion of antiquity and modernity. The narrow streets of the old city, fragrant oriental bazaars and the oldest mosques of Eurasia are hidden behind the powerful fortress walls. Here every stone remembers the Great Silk Road, and the views from the fortress walls are breathtaking.

In recent years, Derbent has been transformed: well-maintained embankments, modern museum spaces and lively tourist quarters have made it a must-see point for any trip to the Caucasus. We have collected must-see places of the ancient city – from the legendary citadel of Naryn-Kala to the secret corners of the ancient magic quarter.

Explore our selection of the best places in Derbent that you must definitely see – and learn how to plan the perfect route to the main treasures of the most ancient city in Russia!

The fortress of Derbent Naryn-Kala

The Naryn-Kala Derbent fortress or the Naryn-Kala Citadel is the main historical landmark of Dagestan, a place of attraction for all travelers in the Republic. This is a unique structure that has no analogues in Russia. It belongs to the cultural heritage sites of the peoples of the Russian Federation and is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and we confidently recommend it for a mandatory visit during a trip to Dagestan.

Translated from Persian, Naryn-kala means "Solar fortress". This huge fortress complex was built by the Persians and served as protection against attacks by neighboring states. The history of Naryn-Kal is rich in events and cultural influences. It belonged to the Sassanid Persians, the Arab caliphate, was the residence of the emirs and the parking place of the Russian garrison. Its construction dates back to the VI century, but in subsequent centuries the fortress was rebuilt and supplemented with new facilities, up to the XIX century. Learn more about Derbent Fortress and how to visit it here.

Old town of Magala

The old town or Magala district is a historical part of the ancient city of Derbent, and it was from here that the history of the oldest city in Russia began. A walk along the old narrow and winding streets past low old residential buildings and ancient architectural monuments will undoubtedly become one of the most memorable moments of a holiday in Derbent.

Today it is one of the most visited places in the city with well-preserved architectural monuments and unique historical sites. Learn more about the Old Town of Derbent and how to visit it here.

Juma Mosque

Derbent Juma Mosque is the oldest mosque not only in Russia, but also in the CIS countries. For Dagestan, the Juma Mosque has a special significance: built in 734, it became the center of the spread of Islam in Dagestan. Like the Naryn-Kala Fortress, it is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List and is classified as a cultural heritage site of the peoples of the Russian Federation. Today it can be viewed during a walk through the Old District of Derbent, it is open to tourists. Its inspection is included in all sightseeing routes around the city, so there are always a lot of tourists here. Read more about the Juma Mosque in Derbent here.

Derbent Tourist Mile

This is a walking tourist route through Derbent, passing through the entire city center along the fortress wall from the historical district of Magala to the Nizami Ganjavi Park with the famous light and music fountain. In other words, this is a new pedestrian zone in Derbent, very beautiful and beautifully equipped after the renovation of tourist places in the city. The length of the tourist mile is a little more than a kilometer, although if you also include an equipped footpath along the old district of Magala, it turns out as much as 2 kilometers. On the route there are places for recreation, shops, modern installations in the traditional Caucasian style, as well as genre sculptures reflecting the way of life, traditions and history of the peoples of Dagestan. There are information boards with a map and a description of the route and objects on it, so the walk will also be informative. You will see part of the masonry of the fortress wall, its foundation and the ancient city water supply system, which is considered one of the oldest in the world. Learn more about the tourist mile of Derbent here.

Derbent Embankment and Seaside Park

The Derbent embankment and the Seaside Park are the main place for walking along the coast during a holiday in Derbent, one might even say, the epicenter of tourist beach life. Moreover, this is the only full-fledged promenade in Dagestan, and there is no such even in Makhachkala. It is well equipped, it was renovated in 2022, the space for walking was increased, and now the pedestrian path to Heydar Aliyev Street in the center has been extended. As on any other seaside promenade, fast food is sold here, there are simple children's attractions, a fountain works, there are pavilions with souvenirs and leisure goods. Read more about Debent Embankment here.

Derbent Light and Music Fountain

In the park. Nizami Ganjavi opened the largest light and music fountain in Russia in 2022. It occupies a central place in the park. The area of the building is 4.7 thousand square meters, it is equipped with 1368 floodlights, two video projectors and a speaker system. The height of the water jets reaches 30 meters, which is lower than that of the famous singing fountain in Adler Olympic Park, but the scale is still larger. It is built using the most modern technologies, which allows for very colorful and spectacular musical performances, including those with three-dimensional projected images. Learn more about the Derbent light and music fountain here.

Park named after. Nizami Ganjavi

The park was significantly transformed in 2022 and, of course, has become one of the most popular places in Derbent, attracting not only locals, but also tourists. And thanks to the opening of the largest Light and Music Fountain in Russia in 2022, it is also a "business card" of the city along with the Naryn-Kala fortress. More and more visitors of the city come to see it. The park area is equipped with playgrounds for children and sports, there is a tower with an observation deck, plantings in the form of living labyrinths, recreation areas, walking paths, playgrounds. Learn more about the Park. Nizami Ganjavi is here.

"Happy People" Street

This is a new wonderful walking area in Derbent and one of the most crowded places for tourists and locals in the city center, especially in the evenings. This pedestrian street appeared in Derbent after a large-scale reconstruction of the tourist center of the city in recent years, after which it simply flourished, and the street of "happy people" is located in its very epicenter. It is not very long, about 350 meters, but completely pedestrian. In the evenings it is very beautifully illuminated, several genre sculptures are installed here, restaurants and cafes are open, street fast food is sold, excursion distributors put up racks with booklets, and sometimes street artists appear and artists exhibit their works. There is also an "Indoor market" or "Passage" shopping center – this is such a small shopping center with local goods for tourists and souvenirs. Learn more about the street of Happy people here.

Museum "Culture and life of ancient Derbent"

The museum "Culture and life of ancient Derbent" is located in the building of the former "Maiden bathhouse" of the XIII century or Wedding bathhouse. It can be visited while walking through the historical part of the Old City and visiting the Juma Mosque. These baths were intended exclusively for unmarried girls. Within these walls, a rite of purification of the girl was held before the wedding, the so-called bachelorette party, hence the second name of the baths - Wedding. The bathhouse consists of 3 halls where the bathers spent their time. Well-preserved stone pools, tanks for hot and cold water. Women's traditional costumes, household items that were used while taking baths are clearly presented. Read more about the museum "Culture and life of ancient Derbent" here.

Crystal Bridge

Near the northern fortress wall in 2021, a new tourist location appeared in Derbent – the Crystal Bridge or the Glass Bridge. This is a modern pedestrian transparent bridge, walking along which below under the glass dome you can see the excavations of an ancient aqueduct that was part of the fortress of the ancient city. Nearby there are stone slabs with Arabic inscriptions, the meaning of which can be found from the information plate installed nearby. Read more about the crystal bridge here.

Ekranoplan Lun

The Lun ekranoplane or the 903 project is a miracle of engineering by Soviet designers, a military development for the Caspian Flotilla of the USSR. For the times of its construction in the 80s of the last century, it was an advanced and unique project, and it remains so today. The ekranoplan was designed to destroy ships with a displacement of up to 20,000 tons, had a phenomenal speed for naval military systems of up to 500 kilometers per hour and was invisible to radar. Unfortunately, due to the collapse of the USSR, it suffered a sad fate: only one of the 8 planned samples was built, and it was in operation for 10 years, and in 2001 it was decommissioned. Read more about the Lun ekranoplan here.