Almak in Dagestan

Cities of Khazaria. Kromos Estatium
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     The khazar cities here include not only those cities that were built by the khazar architects, but also those that were built before the arrival of the khazars, were used by the khazars for their needs and tasks for a long time.
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Almak in Dagestan **
     This city appears in the 4th century after the birth of Christ on the right bank of the Aktash river of the Kumyk plain in the present Kazbek district near the present village of Almak.
     It was founded by the huns, who needed to control the trade routes from Asia Minor to the hunnic steppes of the pre-Caucasus.
     These places were not empty before the arrival of the huns. There were settlements of hunters and fishermen in the 2nd century before Christ.
     In the 8th century, the city of Almak received an additional boost of development with the arrival of the khazars. It was a small trading town of a local owner, quite populated by local mountain concepts. Sometimes stayed here the guards of the Khazar Khagans who were advancing towards the Caucasus. At this time, the city was replenished with merchants from all the neighboring gorges and foothills, artisans came, and the life of the city was enlivened.
     In ancient vocabulary, Almak means apple tree. Although local historians translate this name as undone, referring to the stubborn resistance to the Horde.
     Here, near Almak, before the arrival of the Golden Horde, it was called Balkh, according to local historians, one of the branches of the Silk Road passed. From here, this trade route went through mountain gorges to the Black sea coast. In Balkh-Almak there were squads that accompanied the caravans all the way to the Black sea.
     Almak was seen by the Khazarian Kings as an important strategic point that allowed them to advance their political will to the Cuman plain. Therefore, a strong Fortress was built here. In addition, the inhabitants of Balkh-Almak proved to be a strong, influential and capable people for military Affairs.
     Since its Foundation, Almak has been inhabited by the most skilled artisans, blacksmiths in the art of weapons. These skills have been preserved by the almak masters to this day.
     In the 10th century, Khazaria ordered a long life, trade routes become tributaries of robbers, the town was deserted, but not completely. It existed at the expense of the artisan caste that developed here, which provided local farmers and pastoralists with tools.
     So the city existed until the arrival of the Golden Horde in the 13th century. It did not begin to conquer Mountainous Dagestan, but imposed a tribute on the owners of cities, which was regularly paid. For this, the khans of the Horde sent their trade caravans through Almak, from which the profit was immeasurably greater than the horde tribute. By the beginning of the 14th century, there were at least 7,000 courtyards.
     In the 14th century, Timur came here. The city and fortress defended their freedom, but Timur returned, taking the townspeople by surprise. After the departure of the Horde, there was a settlement with the same name Almak, but it never rose to the significance of the city.
     The ancient settlement, which is attributed to the city of Almak, has the remains of a fortress wall, ramparts with moats, and several stone foundations on which dwellings once stood.
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