In the village of Uallagsykh, south of the settlement of Dallagkau, on the high Hakun mountain, stands an ancient tower. It is called the Tower of Kurta and Taga, and it is a true gem of the Kurtatin Gorge. This old structure not only attracts tourists but also serves as a family castle for a great many Ossetians. According to legend, the castle was built by Kurta and Taga (the stress in both names falls on the last syllable) — two brothers revered as the founders of the Kurtatin and Tagaurs societies. More than a hundred surnames of North Ossetia trace their genealogy back to these brothers.

Next to the preserved tower are the ruins of a second defensive tower and another building — presumably residential. The entire complex is in a state of disrepair and, according to a recent report by architect-restorer Kuzmin, “requires urgent work to strengthen and conserve it.” If this is not done, numerous cracks and collapses of the rock formations will destroy the tower — it will simply collapse, just as the second tower of the castle has already fallen.

The “Lost Ossetia” project has announced a fundraising campaign for the restoration of the monument and has issued an appeal to the residents of the republic. From this appeal, one can understand how important this castle is to the Ossetians: “We have very little time left, just one summer. The tower may not survive the next winter. We have already lost one tower from this architectural complex; we have no right to lose the second… At least so that our children and grandchildren, just like us now, can admire the tower on the high rock above the Kurtatin Gorge in the future, knowing that they are worthy of their ancestors who built this tower many centuries ago.”

There is a legend about the origin of this tower, resembling a fairy tale. Once upon a time, an Ossetian lived on Hakun mountain with his wife and only son. One day, the son quarreled with his father, who had punished him for disobedience, and fled to the settlement of Kadgaron, where Circassians (Kasogs) lived at that time, and settled with a Circassian prince. The kind and diligent young man earned the trust of his lord, who came to love him as his own.

When the prince set out for a foreign land with twelve friends, the young man accompanied them. The travelers reached the place where the settlement of Elkhotovo (Ardjan-Areg Minaret) is now located and decided to stay there for a few days — they liked the area very much. And in the tower of Ardjan-Areg Minaret lived a maiden of extraordinary beauty. From the height of the tower, she watched the young man and admired him, then secretly invited him to talk. The young people fell in love and pledged marriage. The maiden decided to buy her fiancé from the prince, who was very upset but did not object: “If this is necessary for your happiness, you are free. Go, I want no ransom, and may the Creator bless you!” The prince gave his former servant good weapons and a richly saddled beautiful horse.

The young man and maiden lived happily. Only once did the wife notice a hidden sadness reflected on her husband’s face and asked what was wrong. The husband replied that his parents lived on Hakun mountain, told the story of his flight, and added that the separation was unbearable for him. The wife suggested going to Hakun mountain and settling nearby. They did so, but the son did not dare to appear before his parents, so he built his tower a little below the mountain, in the area called Uallagsykh. When the father noticed the new neighbors who had built a tower on his land without permission, he prepared to punish them but recognized his son and forgave him.

After the father’s death, the son inherited all the family estates. He had two boys, named Kurta and Taga. The brothers lived in friendship and harmony, loved hunting, and were never apart. Each had a trained hunting falcon. Once, during a hunt, the falcons quarreled and fought, and Kurta’s falcon defeated Taga’s falcon. Taga saw this as a bad omen. He decided that someday his brother would similarly overpower and subdue him, so he withdrew to another land — the Dargavs Gorge, where the Kists lived at that time. Taga drove them out and settled in the gorge. Kurta remained in the original place, which was named after him — the Kurtatin Gorge.

Sources:

http://natiwa.ru/articles/russia/attraction/bashna-kurta-i-taga.html