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See also: town of See also: Russia, See also: Caucasia, in the province of See also: Daghestan, on the western See also: shore of the See also: Caspian, 153 M. by See also: rail N.W. of See also: Baku, in 42° 4' N. and 48° 15' E
.
Pop
.
(1873) 15,739; (1897) 14,821
.
It occupies a narrow See also: strip of See also: land beside the See also: sea, from which it climbs up the steep heights inland to the citadel of Naryn-kaleh, and is on all sides except towards the See also: east surrounded by walls built of porous See also: limestone
.
Its general aspect is See also: Oriental, owing to the flat See also: roofs of its two-storeyed houses and its numerous mosques
.
The environs are occupibd by vineyards, gardens and orchards, in which See also: madder, See also: saffron and See also: tobacco, as well as See also: figs, peaches, See also: pears and other fruits, are cultivated
.
Earthenware, weapons and See also: silk and See also: cotton fabrics are the See also: principal products of the manufacturing industry
.
To the See also: north of the town is the monument of the See also: Kirk-See also: lar, or " See also: forty heroes," who See also: fell defending Daghestan against the See also: Arabs in 728; and to the See also: south lies the seaward extremity of the Caucasian See also: wall (50 M. long), otherwise known as See also: Alexander's wall, blocking the narrow pass of the Iron
See also: Gate or Caspian See also: Gates (Portae Albanae or Portae Caspiae)
.
This, when entire, had a height of 29 ft. and a thickness of about 10 ft., and with its iron gates and numerous See also: watch-towers formed a valuable defence of the Persian frontier
.
See also: Derbent is usually identified with Albana, the capital of the See also: ancient See also: Albania
.
The See also: modern name, a Persian word meaning " iron gates," came into use in the end of the 5th or the beginning of the 6th century, when the city was refounded by See also: Kavadh of the See also: Sassanian dynasty of See also: Persia
.
The walls and the citadel are believed to belong to the See also: time of Kavadh's son, Khosrau (See also: Chosroes) Anosharvan
.
In 728 the Arabs entered into possession, and established a principality in the city, which they called Bab-el-Abwab (" the principal gate "), Bab-el-Khadid (" the iron gate "), and Seraill-el-Dagab (" theSee also: golden See also: throne ")
.
The celebrated See also: caliph, See also: Harun-al-Rashid, lived in Derbent at different times, and brought it into See also: great repute as a seat of the arts and commerce
.
In 1220 it was captured by the See also: Mongols, and in the course of the succeeding centuries it frequently changed masters
.
In 1722 See also: Peter the Great of Russia wrested the town from the Persians, but in 1736 the supremacy of See also: Nadir Shah was again recognized
.
In 1796 Derbent was besieged by the Russians, and in 1813 incorporated with the See also: Russian See also: empire
.
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