Dargavs Necropolis (City of the Dead)

The City of the Dead at Dargavs, in the Gizeldon Valley about 35 kilometres south of Vladikavkaz, is one of the most haunting sites in Russia. On a sun-exposed hillside above a medieval village, around 100 stone crypts of varying sizes stand in tight clusters — some conical-roofed, some flat-topped, all constructed from the same grey local stone that makes them appear to grow from the hillside itself.

The crypts served as family burial houses for Ossetian clans through several centuries of plague and war. The site was sealed for much of its history and remains partially off-limits for preservation. What you can see from the paths and viewpoints is extraordinary enough: the sheer density of the crypts on the slope, the mountain setting, and the absolute silence of the valley combine to create an atmosphere unlike anywhere else in the Caucasus. The road from Vladikavkaz passes through genuinely spectacular gorge scenery.

things to do sight
A story
The Dargavs crypts were built between the 14th and 18th centuries by the local Ossetian community as family burial houses. Each structure was owned by a clan; the dead were placed inside with their possessions. Some crypts contain the remains of dozens of generations of a single family. Local legend holds that anyone who looks inside one of the crypts will die soon after — a superstition that has helped preserve the site remarkably well.