The Kiyamat-Kapy Gate (Gate of Judgment Day) of the Derbent Fortress

The "Kiyamat-Kapy" Gate (the Gate of Judgment Day) was discovered and excavated by archaeologists in 2002-04. It is an arch in the northern fortress wall of Derbent, located within Nizami Park. The excavations revealed a complex presumably of ritual significance. Research established that ritual ceremonies involving the nailing of nails into the wall and offerings of copper coins were performed here to fulfill wishes.

At the edge of the curtain wall adjoining the tower, there is an opening covered by a stone beam with a relieving semicircular arch made of large blocks above it. Behind the opening in the wall is a small chamber. To the left and right of the opening, the wall is covered with numerous symbols and inscriptions. On the right, on the tower, there is a large carved stone with an Arabic inscription. In front of the opening, there is a platform with a fence made of stone columns. There may be burials in front of the gate.

This site is known as a cult place revered during medieval Derbent under the names Arabic Bab al-Kiyama, Turkic Kiyamat-Kapy, and Persian Dar-i Kiyamat, which translates into Russian as "Gate of Judgment Day." According to legend, on Judgment Day, the souls of the dead will return to earth through this symbolic door. According to some sources, the structure dates back to the 9th century, while other sources believe it originated in the 10th-11th centuries.

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