In North Ossetia, near the settlement of Dargavs, there is one of the most mysterious places in the Caucasus – the so-called “City of the Dead”.
City of the Dead, Ossetia
The small village of Dargavs was once a fairly large settlement in Ossetia, but today there are only about ten residential buildings here. Very close to this village, among the stunning landscapes, mountain ranges and wide gorges, there is one of the most mysterious mysteries of Ossetia – the “City of the Dead”.
The city of the Dead, Ossetia. Photo 1
The city of the Dead, Ossetia. Photo 2
This necropolis consists of 95 crypts on Mount Raminyra. All tombs can be divided into three types: with a roof in the form of a stepped pyramid made of slate tiles, with a roof with a gable roof and the third – rectangular chambers half dug into the ground.
The city of the Dead, Ossetia. Photo 3
The city of the Dead, Ossetia. Photo 4
There is a square hole in the crypts through which the deceased were placed inside the crypt. Remarkably, some of the corpses were neatly stacked in some kind of boats, hewn from a single piece of wood. It is reliably known that the local residents of that time did not have boats, since there are no large reservoirs nearby.
The city of the Dead, Ossetia. Photo 5
The city of the Dead, Ossetia. Photo 6
There are many legends associated with this place, and the locals have always preferred to avoid this place, because there is a belief that everyone who entered the necropolis did not return from it.
City of the Dead, Dargavs
According to one version, these tombs were a kind of home for victims of the plague that swept through Ossetia in the 17th century. According to this version, infected people lived in these crypts, eating modest offerings from the village. When they died, their bodies remained in their crypts, as evidenced by the remains preserved to this day.
The city of the dead, Dargavs. Photo 1
The city of the dead, Dargavs. Photo 2
The city of the dead, Dargavs. Photo 3
The city of the dead, Dargavs. Photo 4
The city of the dead, Dargavs. Photo 5
The city of the dead, Dargavs. Photo 6
The city of the dead, Dargavs. Photo 7
The city of the dead, Dargavs. Photo 8
The city of the dead, Dargavs. Photo 9
The city of the dead, Dargavs. Photo 10
The city of the dead, Dargavs. Photo 11
The city of the dead, Dargavs. Photo 12
The city of the dead, Dargavs. Photo 12
The city of the dead, Dargavs. Photo 13
The city of the dead, Dargavs. Photo 14
