Early Muslim Cemetery in Metzkhal
Public
ID:634c•••5bbf
13.12.2024

If in the Middle Ages the Ingush buried their relatives in crypts, and the ancestors were as if nearby, then with the adoption of Islam, the first cemeteries appeared within the village, later outside the village. But definitely, the Ingush buried and bury relatives on the land of their ancestors. In the mountainous Ingushetia, small cemeteries of several dozen burials have been preserved, most often fenced with a stone fence. There are single burials with different types of tombstones-steles, mounds with stone cladding. It is interesting to note the fact that the stone boxes that once existed in the mountains later resulted in the fact that early Muslim burials were lined with stone masonry. There are high stone gravestones with an Arabic inscription and the date of burial. The early Muslim cemetery, which belongs to the Metskhal tower complex, is located 30 m south of the complex. It consists of 5 gravestones. According to legend, the parents and their three sons are buried here. The early Muslim cemetery in Metskhal is part of the Dzheyrakh-Assinsky State Historical, Architectural and Natural Museum-Reserve and is a recognized cultural heritage site protected by the state.