What does the name Dagestan mean?
Dagestan combines the Turkic word for "mountain" with the Persian suffix -stan, meaning "land." The name directly translates to "land of the mountains."
Questions about Dagestan
Short answers, pulled from the story.
How many languages are spoken in Dagestan?
Dagestan has 14 official languages, and more than 30 local languages are commonly spoken, most belonging to the Nakh-Daghestanian language family. Over 20 of Russia's 131 UNESCO-identified endangered languages are found within its borders.
When did Dagestan become part of Russia permanently?
Russian control was confirmed after the Russo-Persian War of 1804-1813. Under the Treaty of Gulistan in 1813, Qajar Persia ceded southern Dagestan including Derbent to Russia, and the 1828 Treaty of Turkmenchay removed Persia from the military equation permanently.
What is the oldest mosque in Russia and where is it located?
The Juma Mosque of Derbent, built in 733, is the oldest mosque in Russia and one of the oldest in the world. It is located in Derbent, a city on Dagestan's Caspian coast.
What MMA fighters have come from Dagestan?
Dagestan has produced several top UFC fighters, including Khabib Nurmagomedov, who retired as undefeated lightweight champion, and Islam Makhachev, who held the lightweight title and was ranked the number-one pound-for-pound fighter. Magomed Ankalaev is a former UFC light heavyweight champion, and Umar Nurmagomedov is ranked number two in the bantamweight division.
How religiously diverse is Dagestan?
A 2012 survey of 56,900 people found that 83% of Dagestan's population identifies as Muslim, primarily Sunni of the Shafii school. Smaller populations include Russian Orthodox Christians (2.4%), followers of Caucasian folk religion (2%), and a historically significant community of Mountain Jews who lived along the Caspian coast.