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RussiaWhat to Expect and Is It Worth Visiting
Gamsutl is a ghost village in Dagestan, the most famous and most visited abandoned village in the Republic by tourists. This picturesque highland village is an amazing and stunning place that is definitely worth a visit during your trip to Dagestan. Sometimes it is even compared to the ancient Inca city of Machu Picchu in Peru, and indeed, there is something similar and mysterious about them. You can visit Gamsutl on your own or with excursions from Makhachkala and Derbent, or while relaxing in the tourist village of Gunib, and we will tell you in detail how to do this at the end of the article.
Today it is an open-air museum of ruins, which anyone can visit. There are preserved streets and remnants of brick walls, some of which are even in good condition, and in some places there are wooden entrance doors and window frames. And this is not surprising, because the village was abandoned only in the 1980s, and in 2015 its last resident died. During the visit, you will plunge into the history of this place, walk along the winding narrow streets, look into the preserved houses, and if you are with a tour guide, you will also listen to an interesting story about history and traditions. In addition, from Gamsutl there are stunning views of picturesque landscapes and mountains, everything you see is truly fascinating.
A little history of the village
According to historians, the village of Gamsutl is about 2000 years old, but not much is known about it. It is more or less reliably known that it was founded by the Avars - one of the indigenous peoples of the Caucasus. At the same time, over the period of history, Gamsutl has repeatedly changed the "owners".
The name Gamsutl comes from the Avar language and means "at the foot of the Khan's tower." There is another version of the origin of the name - the khan's palace was once located at this place, and the khan's army was stationed at its walls. There is a legend that the only female commander in Dagestan lived here. Using cunning and tactics, she lured the enemy into the gorge, where he was defeated, and the river flowing at the foot of the hill turned blood-red after the battle.
The history of the village is also connected with the name of Imam Shamil, the leader of the liberation movement for the independence of the Caucasus with the Russian Empire. It is believed that during the Russian-Caucasian war, he watched the Russian army from the cliff where the village is located and did not allow them to climb into the village. And even at a certain period he sent his soldiers who were guilty for various reasons to Gamsutl, in connection with which the village was called "Shamil's Siberia". Due to the convenient location of the village, the terrain around is perfectly visible, and the steep slopes make the village almost inaccessible to the enemy, Gamsutl has never been taken by any army throughout its existence.
🕐 Working hours
Around the clock. It is better to visit early in the morning or in the evening before sunset to avoid overcrowding of the place with large groups of tourists.
💵 Entrance fee / ticket price
Free of charge.
🚶 How to get there
Gamsutl is located 10 kilometers from the village of Gunib and 160 from Makhachkala (ghost village on the map). It is quite possible to go here for one day with an excursion or by your own transport from Makhachkala, Derbent and other places on the coast, however, if time and opportunity allow you, we advise you to come to this part of Dagestan and settle for a couple of days in the village of Gunib. Then you will be able to slowly and with great interest get acquainted with other places in the Gunibsky district, rich in sights and beauty.
The village is located on a mountain at an altitude of 1600 meters above sea level and stretches along the top for about 360 meters. You will have to walk up to it from the road and the parking lot, but these efforts are undoubtedly worth it. The road to the top with a length of 2.5 kilometers from the parking lot runs along an uneven dirt road and then turns into a path that anyone can overcome, even children and the elderly easily pass here. It will take about an hour to travel one way at a slow pace. There will be a place to rest on the trail with a drinking spring, you can get water there.
There are drivers in the parking lot who offer to drive part of the way in jeeps or "loaves" for a nominal price of 100 rubles per person, but even with this in mind, you still have to walk at least a kilometer and about 30 minutes. There are brave souls who bring tourists in jeeps even higher, but it depends on the weather. Also, as an option, you can get almost to the most abandoned village on horseback for 1000 rubles / person.
To get to Gamsutl on your own transport, you will not need an SUV, you can get there by any car. You can use the navigator to go, they "know" the way here. Almost to the parking lot in front of Gamsutl there is a tolerable asphalt road, from which there will be an exit towards the village to the dirt road, it will take about a kilometer to cross the Tsamtichai River on the bridge. There is no equipped parking as such, it's just a dirt playground where cars are put for free and whoever wants. However, since the place is very popular, there are a lot of cars after 10 o'clock, you may have to look for free parking space or leave the car a little further on the side of the road. There are cafes and gazebos for recreation in the parking lot, prices are reasonable even for such a popular place. You can have a snack here with a Miracle of tea, or order a full lunch.
Local authorities banned travel to the parking lot in the village by private transport, now the car can only be left at the entrance to the village, and walk an additional two kilometers on foot.
Near Gamsutl you can also visit the ancient Choh village and Vatan memorial complex, and along the route from the coast you can go to Saltinskiy waterfall and to the village of Gunib.
💥 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: