Citadel, Ancient City and Fortress Buildings of Derbent

For fifteen centuries Derbent guarded the narrow corridor between the Caspian Sea and the Caucasus mountains. Sasanian Persia built the stone defences — a citadel and two parallel walls running from the shore up the mountainside — and the town that grew between the walls keeps its medieval street fabric to this day. Continuously strategic until the 19th century, this Dagestani stronghold was inscribed by UNESCO as World Heritage in 2003.