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RussiaWhat to Expect and Is It Worth Visiting
It is believed that in the vicinity of Arkhyz you can see many historical monuments-ruins of the period of the ancient Alan Kingdom. But the only equipped place where you can get acquainted with the heritage of that era is the open-air museum, Nizhny Arkhyz historical and architectural archaeological complex, also known simply as Alan settlement. It is located presumably on the site of the ancient capital of the Alan state – the city of Maas.
This archaeological complex is the most important and most interesting historical site in Karachay-Cherkessia, and definitely worth a visit. It occupies a large area, so it is better to move around it by car or at least by bicycle. So, from the entrance to the far temple you will have to drive or walk 2.3 kilometers.
In total, there are currently three ancient temples (one of them is active), a statue of a Turkic warrior, and a stone circle, presumably serving as a solar calendar. This is quite a bit for the huge territory of the Archaeological Park, but there is a development plan, according to which there will be more archaeological sites, a museum, a cafe, recreation areas, a walking trail and much more. The objects available today are scattered throughout the territory far from each other, but there are signs to them. An information plate with a description is also installed for each object. In general, a visit by car will take no more than 60 Minutes.
🕐 Working hours
from 9.00 to 18.00, Monday-day off.
💵Entrance fee / ticket price
access to the Archaeological Park is 100 rubles, children under 7 years old-free of charge. Entry by car is still free, only visitors are paid.
🚶 How to get there
the Archaeological Park is located in the village of Nizhny Arkhyz, 25 kilometers from Arkhyz (Alan settlement on the map. It is best to get here by your own transport, taxi or with a tour. To enter the territory, you first need to pass through the barrier into the village, for which you must present documents for recording in the log at the checkpoint. After a few tens of meters after the barrier there will be an entrance directly to the territory of the archaeological complex, where you need to buy a ticket, and go further through the territory.
You can also take any bus from Arkhyz, and get off at the turn to Nizhny Arkhyz, from where to the barrier and the entrance to the Archaeological Park is only a few tens of meters.