The
important cities of Dahgestan are Mohackale, Derbent, Buynak, Kaspiy, Hasavyurt, Izberbas,
Kizlar ve Kizilyurt. Other than this eight cities, there are 14 worker sites built in
plain places. Only Kubachi worker site was built on a mountainous place. Except Buynat on
a mountainous place, other cities are built plain areas and on sea coasts.
More than half of the Daghestan population
(58%) live in mountain and plain villages though city population has been increasing
according to sociological and economical developments. But there are huge differences
between mountain and plain villages. Villages built in plain places are bigger than
mountain villages and have fruit garders, where mountain villages are smaller on steeps
because of lack of place. Villages inhabitans have to arrive their home on foot because
most of them have no streets. There are also few trees in mountain villages. Few plain
lands in these villages are used for agriculture, on wich they produce corp, potatoes,
wheat, barley etc. Being on steeps, these villages have been used as a shelter from the
enemies.
Mohackale is the capital city of Daghestan. It is built
on the west coast of Caspian Sea where the Caucasian Mountains approaches to the sea. Its
population was 40 thousand people in the 1920s. Today, with its population of 350 thousand
people, it is the biggest and most important industrial and cultural center of Daghestan.
It is told that Mohackale was bult first by Tzar Petro while on an attack to Persia in
1722. It was named as Port-Petrovsk (Petro Port) in 1857. It was reported that in 1912
Port-Petrovsk had a population of 24 thousand people and there were many fountains, a
small bath, two schools, and a hospital with a capacity of 12 people. With the Soviet
sovereign, the city became the capital city and named as Mahackala (Mohackale) in the
memory of Mahac Dahadayev who fought for Soviets. In Sovyet period, the city became an
important industrial and cultural center and the number of industrial institutions
increaset rapidly The among these big enterprises are a machine producing plant named
M.Gadjiyev, Dagelektromat plant and other factories producing radio elements, glass and
other electrical equipments. The second biggest construction combination in North Caucasia
was built in this city which has also the biggest and oldest textile, sewing and foot wear
industrias plants. Nfood industry is also developed in the city. Some of them are fish
conserving and meat preserving plants and some vine, beer, oil and candy factories.
Mohackale is the cultural center of Daghestan. There are
Russian, Avar, Khumukh and Lakh theatres in the city, as well as an philharmonic
orchestra, State Choir and Folklore Groups, Daghestan State Lezginka Folklore Group,
cinemas, museums and a Library. There are many newspapers and magazines in different
languages and various dialects in Mohackale. On the other hand, Mohackale is also the
biggest scientific center of North Caucasia. There are Daghestan Branch of Russian
Federation Science Academy and Lenin University as well as pedagocigal, surgical,
agricultural and technological institures and laboratories. In Mohackale, there is also a
Private Turkish Lycee training in English, which is founded by Turkish businessmen in
Daghestan. Being on the crossroad of railways, Mohackale is an important port city on the
northwest of Caspian Sea. The city is stll expanding to Caspiy city on one side and to the
steeps of Tarki Mountain on the other.
Derbent is the second biggest city in Daghestan. It was
called Bâbu'l-Ebvab (Door of the Doors) and elBâb (Door) by Arabs. Turks called the
citty Demirkapu. Its meaning is a passage, closed door or patrol station. Being an old
city, it is built on the west coast of Caspian sea, where the Caucasian Mountains approach
the sea very close. The passage which gave its name to the city, is two kilometers long
and covered by two line walls between the sea and the mountain. These walls and the castle
was built in Khazar Turks period by Sâsâni ruler Nûþirvan (531-579).
The city was in the control of Ottomans and Persians in
time and lastly was left to Russia by Persians with an agreement. Derbent had always a
strategical importance both in military and commercial aspects because it is placed on the
route of important trade ways from Europe to Asia. The walls of 2 kms which close the
passage between the mountain and the sea, saved the city and the Asia Minor from invasions
of East European immigrant tribes. The city was also an important port because commercial
goods were dispatched from Khazar counties. The main export goods are textile and madders.
Derbent developed in madder production and commerce in the middle of the 19th century
under Russian government, but the economical and social life regressed at the end of the
century. After building the new railways connecting middle Caucasia to European Russia,
economical life at the city and also in the reigion has begun to develop again.
Continued
|
