Ir-Khan

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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Ir-Khan **
     Also Ihran.
     The country and land to which the city belonged at that time was called Harakan, Kzni, Anseari, Arcalis, Mamis at different times. The name Ir-khan was associated not only with the city, but also with the region where the city of Balkh, present-day Enidirei, was also located.
     The city was located in the North of the Caucasus, on the southern edge of Khazaria on the territory of present-day Dagestan in the Tersk-Sulak interfluve, also called the Kumyk platform.
     It is known that many Khazarian peoples lived in the city in the 9th century. The townspeople were engaged in agriculture and cattle breeding. There was also a jewish merchant community that called itself the arakani. With the arrival of muslims in the 8th century, under Sultan Abusalim, the jews left the city.
     There is a short story about this city in Derbend-Name, by unknown authors, which tells of the kabirs, whose rulers chose this city as their capital.
     This city was rich in the fact that in its suburb, called Indiraye, there were copper deposits where copper ore was extracted, from which the kabirs made good copper. Also, in another place, near Ir-khan, there was a gold mine near the river Tirik. Due to the well-established trade in this metal, the city had many residents who were in good homes.
     People of different peoples and tribes lived in Irhan, each of them engaged in their own crafts. There were alans who built a lot, there was rus who fought, there were jews who traded and had a Karshab community.
     Since the end of the 7th century, the city of Irhan has been under pressure from the arabs, and a fortress and fortress walls of khazar architecture have appeared in the city. The fortress of the city was garrisoned by the khazar army, which was actively involved in the wars with the persians, and then in the confrontation with the arabs.
     In the 8th century, the power of the Caliphate is established in Irhan, although the city stubbornly resisted this, making several daring attacks by soldiers of Allah. After a month of siege, the arabs finally found out where the irkhans get their water from, and managed to poison it, which caused the city's soldiers to die. Tightly locked in the fortress, deprived of water sources, brave soldiers opened the gates and tried to break through. But they were all killed.
     For a short time in Ihran established the Sultanate, his sultans participated in campaigns against Khazaria, passing through a wooded area Mascolo and Carancash on the shores of the Khazar sea by Bahli and Gadara. At the same time, the city's cattle remained in the vicinity of the city fortress Mamiz, which was near the city, and was guarded there..
     Derbent-name has preserved several names of the owners of the city of Irhan. They were called emirs, sultans, shahs, khans, hakan and harakanam, sepapal-salahami. The last leader of the city was called Arif-khan, who was subordinate to the Khazar-serir khaqan.
     The ruler of Ikhran also bore the title Sahib as-Sarir, since it belonged to the Khazar-Savir province, also called the country of Serir and the Kingdom of Serir.
     In khazar times, the city received maximum development and greatly expanded. In it at different times lived from 10 thousand to 30 thousand citizens, because, according to legend, it had from 4444 to 9999 houses.
     Not far from Ir-khan, in the countries and lands of khazar influence, Harakakan and Kimra, there were several cities of Khazar subordination, called Hadar, Unsukul, Balakan, Kilbakh, and others, no less than two dozen in number.
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