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RussiaWhat to Expect and Is It Worth Visiting
Khuchninsk fortress or Fortress of seven brothers and one sister (also called Yagdyg fortress) is one of the brightest historical sights of Dagestan, which is usually visited from Derbent. But, in our opinion, it is also worth coming here from other places in the Republic during a road trip or with an excursion. In addition to the fortress itself, when traveling in this direction, you can also visit Khanag waterfall, Kuzhnik natural bridge, Durk Cave and ancient wooden bridge in Gulli.
Khuchna fortress is a medieval fortress, built presumably in the VII—VIII centuries. The shell stone that was used for its construction is only the same as that used for the construction of the Derbent fortress, therefore it is considered that they are "the same age". Originally it was two-storeyed, but now the first floor inside is covered with soil.
The architecture of the fortress is not complicated, its dimensions are small, and therefore it may even seem boring at first glance. But from the observation deck in the fortress there is a wonderful view of the village and the mountains. And there is also a small historical museum here, which is visited for free, and guided tours of it are carried out at will for donations.
The fortress of seven brothers and one sister got its "folk" name thanks to a legend that exists among one of the oldest indigenous peoples of Dagestan – the Tabasarans. According to this legend, a long time ago, seven heroic brothers and one beautiful sister lived in this fortress. The brothers were glorious warriors and guarded the neighboring villages from enemy attacks. Somehow the Persians invaded the Tabasaran land (according to other versions, there are also Mongols and Arabs), but they could not storm the fortress in any way.
During the next battle, the beautiful sister fell in love with the leader of the enemy army, who by cunning decided to use her to defeat her brothers. He convinced her to fill the brothers' weapons with salt water so that they would become unusable, and promised to save everyone's lives. Upon learning of the betrayal, the brothers stoned their sister to death. But the outcome of the battle could no longer be changed, and only two of the seven heroes survived.
My sister was buried by the roadside and her grave was hidden by a mound of stones. And now, according to tradition, every man passing by the mound adds 7 stones to it as a sign of solidarity with his brothers, and women, on the contrary, remove one stone from the grave as a sign of respect for the power of love.
🕐 Working hours
The fortress is open around the clock, the museum is open from 09:00 to 13:00 and from 14:00 to 18:00, seven days a week.
💵 Entrance fee / ticket price
Visiting the fortress and the museum is free of charge, tours of the fortress and the museum for donations.
🚶 How to get there
Khuchna fortress is located on the outskirts of the village of Khuchni in the Tabasaran district of Dagestan (fortress on the map). A good asphalt road leads to the fortress itself, you can park in a row for free. From Derbent to go 50 kilometers or about an hour and a half, from Makhachkala here is almost 150 kilometers, and the road will take 3 hours or more.
It is best to visit the fortress on your own transport, and on the way you can also stop at the Khanag Waterfall, the Turaginsky natural Bridge, the Durk Cave and the ancient wooden bridge. It is better to put a full day on such a trip, and if you don't have time, then in Khuchni or Khanag you can stay overnight in a guest house from 100 rubles / person with breakfast.
Buses and minibuses run here from the southern bus station of Derbent, and theoretically it is possible to visit the fortress by bus within one day, but we do not have accurate information about the schedule and cost.
Well, the easiest and most interesting way to visit the Khuchna fortress along with other attractions in this direction is ready–made excursions. Such one-day tours are offered from Makhachkala, Derbent and Izberbash, the cost starts from 2500 rubles/person. You can also book excursions with a visit to the fortress at Sputnik8.com or Tripster.ru.
💥 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: