Tombstones of the 13th — 18th Centuries from the Cemeteries of the Village Khadagi: Description, Typology and Epigraphy

Authors

  • Makhach A. Musaev Daghestan Federal Research Centre of RAS, 45, ul. M. Gadzhiyeva, Makhachkala, 367032, Republic of Dagestan, Russian Federation
  • Shamil Sh. Shikhaliev Daghestan Federal Research Centre of RAS, 45, ul. M. Gadzhiyeva, Makhachkala, 367032, Republic of Dagestan, Russian Federation
  • Magomed G. Shekhmagomedov Daghestan Federal Research Centre of RAS, 45, ul. M. Gadzhiyeva, Makhachkala, 367032, Republic of Dagestan, Russian Federation

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.21638/spbu13.2020.104

Abstract

The village of Khadagi is a small settlement of historical Kaytag (Khaydaq), located at the crossroads of the oldest tracks connecting the north and the south, the coast of the Caspian Sea and the mountains. This circumstance seems to explain the extreme diversity of tombstones in the Khadagi village and its vicinity, which is comprised of various cultural traditions. This fact greatly distinguishes it from the neighboring mountain areas, where for centuries there has been continuity in burial traditions as well as in the form, epigraphy and decoration of tombstones. The article describes the most notable tombstones of the Khadagiburial grounds: gravestone complexes consisting of horizontal tombstones with vertical stelas adjacent to them; horizontal sarcophagus-like tombstones; a burial complex consisting of a vertical tombstone and an adjoining vertical stela; vertical stelas of various shapes, including anthropomorphous ones. The paper provides texts of the epitaphs and their translation into Russian. Due consideration was also given to features of the writing style, methods of engraving and ornamentation of the monuments. Some of the monuments described in the article are dated in writing, more specifically by the following dates: A. H. 753 (1352/53); A. H. 868 (1463/64); A. H. 1050 (1640/41); A. H. 1210 (1795/96). This fact will play a crucial role in dating typologically similar (in forms, epigraphy, ornamentation) tombstones of the region, and will contribute to uncovering cultural ties. The following method of dating the Khadagi stelas has been used: some of the stelas are associated with certain periods of history due to their typological similarity with already known and dated monuments of the region.

Keywords:

Arabic epigraphy, Dagestan, Kaytag, Khaydaq, necropolistics, Islamic art

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References

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Shikhsaidov A. R. Epigraphic Monuments of Daghestan of the 10th — 17th Centuries as a Historical Source. Moscow, Nauka Publ., 1984. 462 p. (In Russian)

Musaev M. A., Shikhaliev Sh. Sh., Shekhmagomedov M. G. The Epigraphic of the cemetery “Ttatti-pir” of XIV–XV centuries in the vicinity of the village Barshamay. Istoriya, arkheologiya i etnografiya Kavkaza, 2018, vol. 14, no. 2, pp. 33–49. (In Russian)

The Cambridge History of Iran. Vol. 5. The Saljuq and Mongol Periods. Ed. by J. A. Boyle. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1968. 726 p.

Musaev M. A., Shikhaliev Sh. Sh., Shekhmagomedov M. G. The Epigraphy of Utsmi’s cemetery in Qala-Qoreish. Moscow, Mavraev Publ., 2019. p. 182 (In Russian)

Debirov P. M. Stone carving in Dagestan. Moscow, Nauka Publ., 1966. 208 p. (In Russian)

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Published

2020-04-29

How to Cite

Musaev, M. A., Shikhaliev, S. S., & Shekhmagomedov, M. G. (2020). Tombstones of the 13th — 18th Centuries from the Cemeteries of the Village Khadagi: Description, Typology and Epigraphy. Vestnik of Saint Petersburg University. Asian and African Studies, 12(1), 52–65. https://doi.org/10.21638/spbu13.2020.104

Issue

Vol. 12 No. 1 (2020)

Section

History and source studies

License

Articles of "Vestnik of Saint Petersburg University. Asian and African Studies" are open access distributed under the terms of the License Agreement with Saint Petersburg State University, which permits to the authors unrestricted distribution and self-archiving free of charge.