16 Urta-Kapy St., Derbent, Republic of Dagestan, Russia, 368600
Orta-Kapy (from Turkic, Middle Gates) are the third gates from the citadel Naryn-Kala on the southern wall. The gates got their name from the district of the ancient city — "Orta-tepe" (Middle Hill), adjacent to these gates. The beauty, solemnity, and elegance that distinguish them from the other city gates indicate that they were the main ceremonial entrance to the city from the south. The facade of the gates is designed as a massive pointed arch resting on two large columns, whose capitals are decorated with stalactite indentations. On the sides of the central arch are two small arches, above the arches of which is the same group of stalactites carved. The presence of different types of masonry in the gate opening and in the tower projections indicates that this part of the city wall with the gates was rebuilt multiple times. Experts distinguish masonry from the 14th, 15th, and early 19th centuries, while the masonry of the gate foundation is identified with the masonry of the foundation of the Kyrkhlyar-Kapy gates and dates back to the 6th-8th centuries. Above the rectangular opening on the outside, there is a somewhat damaged Arabic inscription. The date indicated in the inscription — "five and thirty and four hundred," i.e., the year 435 Hijri, corresponds to 1043 AD and is the date of one of the numerous restorations and reconstructions of the gates. Above the inscription, on a console, stands a stone sculpture of a lion — an ancient symbol of strength and power. The sculpture is of the same type as on the Kyrkhlyar-Kapy gates. On November 17, 2020, as a result of heavy rainstorms, erosion and partial collapse of the gates occurred, destroying the western flanking tower on the facade side. Restoration work is currently underway.
Source:
