M. Moynet
Indeed, In The Tour Du Monde (I. 122), States That He Traced The Wall To
A Distance Of 27 Versts (18 Miles) From Derbend, But Unfortunately,
Instead Of Describing Remains Of Such High Interest From His Own
Observation, He Cites A Description Written By Alex.
Dumas, which he says
is quite accurate.
["To the west of Narin-Kaleh, a fortress which from the top of a
promontory rises above the city, the wall, strengthened from distance to
distance by large towers, follows the ridge of the mountains, descends
into the ravines, and ascends the slopes to take root on some remote peak.
If the natives were to be believed, this wall, which, however, no longer
has any strategetical importance, had formerly its towers bristling upon
the Caucasus chain from one sea to another; at least, this rampart did
protect all the plains at the foot of the eastern Caucasus, since vestiges
were found up to 30 kilometres from Derbend." (Reclus, Asie russe, p.
160.) It has belonged to Russia since 1813. The first European traveller
who mentions it is Benjamin of Tudela.
Bretschneider (II. p. 117) observes: "Yule complains that he was not able
to find any modern information regarding the famous Caucasian Wall which
begins at Derbend. I may therefore observe that interesting details on the
subject are found in Legkobytov's Survey of the Russian Dominions beyond
the Caucasus (in Russian), 1836, vol. iv. pp. 158-161, and in Dubois de
Montpereux's Voyage autour du Caucase, 1840, vol.
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