Tickets
Hotels
Tours
Insurance
Trains
RussiaWhat to Expect and Is It Worth Visiting
Durk Cave or Khustil cave is not only a natural landmark, but also a cultural or religious one. It has the status of a monument of cultural heritage of federal significance, officially referred to as the "Sacred Cave".
The Durk Cave is indeed sacred to the locals and a place of pilgrimage for Muslim believers. There are many legends associated with it, justifying its title as sacred. So, one legend says that angels repeatedly appeared next to the cave, and according to another, the sword of the legendary Arab commander, the propagator of Islam, Maslama, was once kept in it. And it also served as a protective shelter for local residents from enemies in turbulent times.
The cave consists of several small halls, which is noteworthy, located vertically and interconnected by stairs. Previously, there were seven halls, eventually two remained due to landslides. Inside, everything is covered with carpets made by masters of the Tabasaran district, which is inhabited by one of the indigenous peoples of Dagestan – Tabasarans.
Unfortunately, during our trip in 2022, visiting the cave was impossible due to the threat of collapse, as the sign at the entrance warns. At the same time, the entrance to the cave is open, and especially believers decide to visit it under the protection of you and the Almighty. But this is really dangerous, as you can see for yourself by looking at our photos, in which the carpets are covered with dust and stones falling from the ceiling. We tried to go inside a little at our own risk, but the slightest vibration or noise causes scree and can lead to another collapse. Unfortunately, we do not know whether the cave vault will be strengthened in the future and whether it is possible to do it at all.
🕐 Working hours
Since 2022, the cave is inaccessible due to the danger of landslides.
💵 Entrance fee / ticket price
Free of charge.
🚶 How to get there
The Durk Cave is located in the village of Khusti, 50 kilometers from Derbent and 140 from Makhachkala (cave on the map). There is no asphalt road to the village, but the existing primer is quite passable for any car. You can get there by two routes: from the village of Gejuh, after asphalt, you will have to drive along a primer for about 20 kilometers; from the village of Hapil, you will have to drive along a primer for about 13 kilometers.
💥 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: