Darial Gorge
The Darial Gorge is a river gorge on the border between Russia and Georgia. It is at the east base of Mount Kazbek, south of present-day Vladikavkaz. The gorge was carved by the river Terek, and is approximately 13 kilometres long. The steep granite walls of the gorge can be as much as 1,800 metres tall in some places.
The Georgian Military Road passes through the Darial Gorge. The name “Darial” derives from the Persian Dar-i Alān (Gate of the Alans). In ancient Georgian and foreign sources, it is referred to as Darialan, Dariela, Aragvi Gates, Iberia Gates, Caucasus Gates, Sarmatia Gates, etc.
Since ancient times, a trade and military route connecting the North and South Caucasus has passed through the gorge. The control over Darial had great importance for Georgia, the Roman Empire, the Arab Caliphate and Byzantium. It protected South Caucasus from the attacks of nomadic tribes living in the North Caucasus. According to legend, the first fortress in the Darial Gorge was built by the Iberian king Mirian I (1st half of the 2nd century BC).
During the first Roman campaign in Georgia (1st century BC), the Darial Gorge was controlled by the Iberian Kingdom. In the 5th century, Vakhtang I Gorgasali restored the old fortress. During the era of Arab domination in the South Caucasus (7th–10th centuries), the Darial Gorge, along with the fortress, was under their control. In the 10th–13th centuries, the role of the Darial Gorge increased. This way, Georgia had political, economic, and cultural relations with the countries north of the Caucasus. In the 13th century, after the Mongol campaigns, the economic importance of the Darial Gorge decreased.
In the second half of the 18th century, the revival of Russian-Georgian relations revived the Darial road. In the Darial Gorge, on a high rocky mountain on the left bank of the Terek River, Dariali Fortress — a monument of Georgian architecture — is visible. It seems that the fortress had an entrance from the south. There was also a secret tunnel leading to the river on the same side.
A monastery complex was built on the right bank of the Terek River in the Darial Gorge, near the Russian-Georgian border. In September 2011, Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia, Ilia II, held a mass in the Cathedral of the Holy Archangels Michael and Gabriel of the complex under construction.
Literature: ბ ე რ ძ ე ნ ი შ ვ ი ლ ი ნ., გზები რუსთაველის ეპოქის საქართველოში, თბ., 1966; გ ვ ა ს ა ლ ი ა ჯ., არაგვის კარი (დარიალანი), კრ.: ძიებანი საქართველოს და კავკასიის ისტორიიდან, თბ., 1976; ზ ა ქ ა რ ა ი ა პ., არაგვისა და თერგის ხეობა, თბ., 1972; მ ა კ ა ლ ა თ ი ა ს., ხევი, ტფ., 1934.
J. Gvasalia
P. Zakaraia
K. Jakeli
