Jeyrakh-Assin Reserve
Jeyrakh-Assin Reserve

The Jeyrakh-Assin historical, architectural and natural museum-reserve is located within the boundaries of the Jeyrakh district of the Republic of Ingushetia on the northern slopes of the foothills of the Central part of the Greater Caucasus Range. The reserve was established on June 2, 1988. The area of the reserve is slightly more than 627 square kilometers. The activity of the reserve is aimed at ensuring the preservation, restoration and study of territorial complexes of cultural and natural heritage, material and spiritual values in their traditional historical (cultural and natural) environment. On the territory of the museum-reserve there are 122 ancient architectural complexes, including more than 2,670 objects of cultural significance, including defensive and residential towers, burial crypts, Christian and pagan sanctuaries and temples. The oldest buildings of the megalithic type belong to the middle of the second millennium BC. Every year, significant scientific discoveries are made on the territory of the reserve, new objects are identified, archaeological expeditions are constantly working, scientists from all over the world come. Since 1996, the reserve has been a candidate for inclusion in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Significant value in the reserve is given to work on creating conditions for the development of organized tourism, its educational and service component.

As part of the work plan for the visual inspection of the technical condition of cultural heritage objects, the staff of the Dzhirakh-Assinsky Museum-Reserve together with representatives of the Teip Gapparhoevs made an inspection trip to the architectural complex "Gappi" and to the temple-sanctuary "Gurmte".

Gappi is a castle-type tower village at the top of a mountain range that rises above the Kyakhk-Khi River, in Muzhig Gorge, bordering the Tumgoi Gorge, a few kilometers from the border with Georgia. It consists of a five-storey battle tower, six dilapidated residential tower buildings, united by a long stone defensive wall into a single castle complex.

A kilometer and a half from Gappi on top of a wooded mountain is the Gappin temple-sanctuary of Gurmte, presumably dated XVI-XVII centuries. Until the beginning of the XX century, the inhabitants of the whole district made prayers and sacrifices here. Nowadays, the temple is very rarely visited and has good preservation. On the rock floor of the temple scattered skulls of animals and remains of utensils.

It was discovered by the researcher of Caucasian landscapes L.P. Semenov and surprised the scientific world with his find. Small, only twelve squares, the temple stood alone in a pine forest on one of the slopes of a mountainous ridge. From prying eyes he was sheltered by age-old evergreen trees that hid the sanctuary for several centuries.

You can enter the ancient Ingush temple from the western semicircular side. Inside the room is quite high - ceilings up to three meters, and light - under a gable roof several rectangular windows. The interior was well preserved, white plaster is still visible on the altar wall, and the stone-decorated depressions obviously served as storage shelves. On the floor, researchers found animal remains and utensils. From which it is concluded that the temple was intended for sacrifice.

Having studied Gappi closely, scientists managed to find out that the ancient Ingush village was famous for its craftsmen. Here was widely developed the art of painting on wood and the manufacture of various items from different types of local wood, were able to process the horns and bones of ungulates, turning them into items of utensils, national accessories and jewelry.

Archaeologist Umalat Gadiyev also notes the good preservation of the monument: The Gurmte Sanctuary is relatively well preserved. It can be said that the monument has not changed much in its basic forms over the past hundred years. The reason for this, in my opinion, is its remoteness and inaccessibility.” The only danger that threatens the preservation of the monument, according to the researcher, is the pine trees that grow near the monument. “By the way, the archaeologist L.P. Semenov wrote about the negative impact of pines on the Gurmta sanctuary on the materials of fieldwork in 1930.”

Here it is necessary to make a reservation that according to the member of the IGO “Dzurzuki” Yakub Gogiev, the tree still managed to harm the monument: The temple, although protected from man, but natural nature almost took its own - a huge dry tree tilted and seriously damaged the roof. Fortunately, the guys who are studying at the restoration school cut down this tree and cleaned the upper roof of the temple of branches.

We take this opportunity to express our deep gratitude to them for their work in preserving our history.

In turn, the staff of the museum-reserve made a thorough tour of the temple, recorded all visual changes, made measurements and photofixation. Based on these materials, acts of the technical condition of the object of cultural heritage will be drawn up and sent to higher organizations.

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