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RussiaWhat to Expect and Is It Worth Visiting
Kala-Koreish (or Kara-Quraysh or Kala-Quraysh) is an old abandoned village in Dagestan and one of the most popular tourist attractions, a historical and architectural monument of the Middle Ages. It is located 10 kilometers from another famous tourist place – the craft center for the manufacture of metal products in the village of Kubachi. We recommend combining visits to these two attractions. You can visit them during a day trip by car or with an excursion from Makhachkala, Derbent, Izberbash and other places in Dagestan, and you can also make a route through them to Gunib, but we'll tell you more about this at the end of the article.
Kala-Koreish (or the Fortress of the Quraysh) in its heyday was a fortress on an impregnable rock. In this territory, in the IX century, the feudal state of the Kaitag utsmi (rulers) was formed, which lasted until the XVII century. The capital of the utsmiystvo was located here, which contributed to the development of the state, both economically and spiritually. It is Kala-Koreish that some sources call the place of spread of Islam in Dagestan.
Since the XVIII century, the importance of Kala-Koreish is gradually being lost and the inhabitants are moving to the plain. In the 1930s, the last inhabitants left the village.
The remains of residential buildings have been preserved on the territory of the fortress, some even with glass in the windows. A particularly revered place for believers is the Juma mosque (XI-XII centuries), which can be entered with the permission of local residents looking after the shrine. The Juma Mosque is unique for its piece mihrab. The mausoleum of the Kaitag rulers is well preserved, and there are ancient burials next to it. Stone tombstones with elaborate carvings are interesting. On the way to the fortress along the path there is a branch to the ancient Arab cemetery, where large tombstones have been preserved.
A walk through the labyrinths of ancient streets with a leisurely tour of the mosque and the cemetery with the mausoleum will take no more than 1 hour. The length of the route along the fortress is about 300 meters, but it will still have to be reached by the trail, which will take no more than an hour in both directions.
The legend of the girl who saved the village is connected with Kala-Koreish. One evening, an infiltrator made his way into the fortress. At that time, all the local men were in the mosque for prayer. Without wasting time, the enemies decided to take the fortress at the same time. But unfortunately, at the same time, a girl was coming down from the village on horseback and a dog was running with her. Seeing the enemy detachment, the dog raised barking, and the girl, as best she could, restrained the enemy. As a result, the girl died, and it was not possible to capture the fortress.
According to legend, there is a mound and a tree at the entrance to the fortress – this is the burial place of a brave girl, her horse and dog. Here you can leave a ribbon or a handkerchief as a sign of worship, tying them on a tree branch.
🕐 Working hours
Around the clock, it is better to visit during the day.
💵 Entrance fee / ticket price
Free of charge.
🚶 How to get there
Kala-Koreish is located in the mountainous part of Dagestan about 50 kilometers from the coast, 60 kilometers from Derbent and 150 from Makhachkala (fortress on the map). You can visit the fortress during the day by yourself by car or with excursions. Not far from Kala Koreish is the village of artisans Kubachi, and on the way here you can also see the ancient arch bridge of 1809 in Majalis.
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Kala-Koreish with excursions
Excursions to Kala-Koreish are organized at least from Makhachkala and Derbent. There are no excursions specially only to the fortress, but its visit is included in tours to Kubachi, so look for just such excursions. You can book them online on review sites:
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Kala-Koreish on his car
The road to Kala-Koreish from the coast is asphalt, and only the last 7 kilometers will have to be driven along a dirt road. The primer is rocky, but without clay, dirt and ruts, so you can drive along it in any car, even in rainy weather. And, by the way, during our visit, repair work was actively carried out on this road, so it is possible that in the future the asphalt will be extended further up to Kubachi.
How to get to Kala-Koreish - the road to Kubachi Directly at the entrance to Kala-Koreish there will be a branch of another winding dirt road that goes up steeply. You can park the car here on the side of the main road, or drive up another 600 meters and park the car in the parking lot there. Everything is free, no money is charged for parking and entry. Then it will take less than a kilometer, or 15-20 minutes, directly to the fortress. The walking part of the route is easy and accessible to everyone, there are no steep descents and ascents.
If you travel freely by car and do not plan to return to the coast immediately, you can route through Kala-Koreish and Kubachi further up to Gunib. After Kubachi, a dirt road leads to Gunib through the villages of Urkhnishcha, Urari, Gulebki, Tapshima, and then you can route through Balkhar (pottery village) or Akusha. On this way you can also visit Saltinskiy underground waterfall, Vatan memorial complex, abandoned village of Gamsutl, see Dagestan pyramids and other interesting places. To do this, see our map of Dagestan with sights.
In general, this route is very picturesque, passes through beautiful green hills and low mountains. The road is quite passable, but in the rain and snow there may be difficulties. You can take this route to Gunib in one day if you leave early in the morning. But if you visit places along the way and linger, you will not be able to get there in one day. Therefore, plan a possible overnight stay in Kubachi or somewhere further along the way, including in a tent. The places here are calm and quiet, there are plenty of opportunities to set up a tent.
💥 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: