32 Zulpukarova St., Buynaksk, Republic of Dagestan, Russia, 368220
The Cavalier Battery Rock, formerly known as Tamerlane Rock, is one of the landmarks of Buynaksk (Temir-Khan-Shura). The conqueror’s tent once stood on it, and Tamerlane could see the entire surrounding area, while his guards could spot all threats. From here, he sent punitive expeditions into the mountains of Dagestan. After his departure, a small aul (village) formed here. Mikhail Lermontov also climbed here when he was in Temir-Khan-Shura in 1840. Unfortunately, the commemorative plaque telling about the poet’s visit is no longer there. However, a message from much more ancient times remains. At the base of the rock, one can still make out a scene created by primitive artists — a hunting scene carved into the stone wall: a herd of deer fleeing from a hunter. The hunter himself, unfortunately, can no longer be seen, worn away by time; the drawings date back to the end of the 2nd millennium — the beginning of the 1st millennium BCE.
It received its modern name, Cavalier Battery, because in the first half of the 19th century, a Russian military fortification was built here. The settlement had a geographically advantageous position: at that time, the only route into the mountains was from here.
Six battle towers rose on and near the rock. Today, nothing remains of the headquarters of the commander of the Russian troops in Northern Dagestan: the fortress walls were destroyed at the end of the 19th century, and the last tower was demolished in 1963. But it is at the Cavalier Battery that the history of Buynaksk begins.
Sources:
https://welcomedagestan.ru/placepost/kavaler-batareya-v-bujnakske/
