Arkas

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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Arkas **
     Archaeologists believe that this legendary city was located on the Arakas settlement near the current village of Arkas in the Buinak district of Dagestan.
     According to the materials raised from the settlement, there was a small fortress here until the 14th century, surrounded by ramparts up to 2 meters high and moats. On top of the ramparts were built armored fortifications of rough stones, which did not allow the horsemen to approach the Citadel.
     The city begins to function with the arrival of the khazar authorities on the Kumyk platform, which creates a service point here, where weapons, ironworking and other workshops are located. It is mainly inhabited by artisan people from savir, alans and bulgars, who together with local craftsmen created a handicraft cluster here.
     Initially, the city fortress was not distinguished by special architectural pretensions. The function of this defensive point was not to deter the enemy, the townspeople were engaged in technical support of the trade caravans passing here, as well as neighboring military garrisons.
     Only during the arab-khazar wars, a Citadel of impressive size appears here, which indicates the presence of an important khazar khaqan with his family in the fortress.
     According to ancient legends collected by unknown authors In the history of Irkhan, in 716, at the beginning of the arab-khazar wars, the army of the Caliphate, commanded by its commander Abumuslim, enters the Kumyk platform. One of his detachments stormed the Citadel of the fortress of arcas for almost two months.
     The city continued to function in the era of the Golden Horde, which gave local craftsmen the opportunity to trade their weapons in the vast territory subject to the Horde Khans.
     During the intra-Horde strife of the late 14th and early 15th centuries, the Citadel was destroyed, but the townspeople did not leave their trade and moved away from the fortress, creating a village there, which under the same name Arkas, exists to this day.
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