Makhachkala-Derbent road, 360600, Republic of Dagestan, Russia, 368600
The underground prison-dungeon, located in the northeastern part of the Naryn-Kala citadel, is a unique monument of medieval architecture. It is 11 meters deep, with an internal area of 25 square meters. Light and air penetrated the dungeon through a hole in the stone.
There is a square hole (67 x 67 centimeters) in the vault of this dungeon for light and air to enter. It was covered by a massive stone slab with a hole 23 centimeters in diameter, through which food was passed to the prisoners. According to legend, those sentenced to death were placed in the dungeon, where they died of starvation. The remains of those who perished in the underground prison were not removed. In the 1970s, the interior of the monument was cleared of soil and other deposits accumulated over many centuries.
Archaeologist Kudryavtsev, conducting archaeological excavations in the dungeon with his students, discovered many human remains.
The dungeon is a structure specially built in the shape of a jug (pyramid) with sloping inner walls so that prisoners could not climb out.
Sources:
https://welcomedagestan.ru/placepost/podzemnaya-tyurma-zindan-v-naryn-kale/
