Located on a narrow strip of land between the Caspian Sea and the Caucasus Mountains in the far western end of Eurasia, is the city of Derbent. With a history going back by five thousand years, Derbent is said to be Russia’s oldest city. It is also the southernmost city in Russia, and the second-most important city of Dagestan.

From a small early Bronze-age settlement to one of the biggest medieval cities of the Eastern Europe, the city of Derbent has a unique urban structure. It is situated across a narrow seaside strip of plains less than 3 kilometers wide with a pair of defensive walls running across the width of it and extending 40 kilometers into the Caucasus mountains.

The citadel of Naryn-Kala dating from the 6th century is the most important structure in Derbent. Photo credit: Sulim Kudusov