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Gil-gilchay barrier

In the north from Beshbarmag, there is the Gil-gilchay barrier, which is the biggest monument among the Caspian Shore defensive constructions. The Gil-gilchay defensive barrier was built in the period of Shah Gubad, from Sasanid dynasty (488-531). The Gil-gilchay barrier, which in Arabic sources called "Sur attin" or "Gil divar", closing the Caspian Shore passage and the Gilgilchay pond, extends through all law south-east parts of Big Caucasus, and finishes in the Babadag Mountain. That part of the barrier, which closes the Caspian plain has been made from the raw bricks, but the biggest part of the Gil-gilchay barrier in the mountain was made of stone "of long walls", and that walls consisted of towers and strongholdes, which gave the firmness to the fortification works. In the strategically important places of the barrier were the special town strongholdes, and also were established many defensive stations, where the guardsmen lived. The rest of the stronghold walls and guardhouses can be seen in a big territory. 

With 120 km long, the Gilgilchay barrier is considered to be the second longest defensive fortification in the world after the Great Chinese Wall. Its height is from 5-7 m up to 7-11 km in some places, and its width is 30-35 m. The Gilgilchay walls lies from the Caspian Sea up to Babadag Mountain of the Great Caucasus. Archaeological excavations revealed that the construction of Gilgilchay walls started BC, and was reinforced with additional construction later. Gilgilchay was one of the four largest defense lines in the Caucasus during the beginnings of the Middle Ages and played significant role in prevention of invasion of northern tribes to the territory of the Caucasian Albania in the 3-5th centuries. The walls ends at the grandiose Chiraggala fortification with tower constructed in the 5th century and served as a guard.

This historical monument was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List in Need of Urgent Safeguarding within the Caspian Shore Defensive Constructions on October 24, 2001.