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It’s important to note that the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania is contested territory and, as such, has been the target of terrorist activities in recent years. So caution must be exercised.
At the back of the complex, a tower stands high above the site, reportedly built to watch over the resting souls.
Additionally, wells exist in front of the crypts. Local legends say that after burying their loved ones, the Ossetians would drop a coin in the well. If the coin hit a stone at the bottom, that meant the resting soul had reached Heaven
The crypts were necessary to quarantine those affected. The sick reportedly volunteered to be quarantined in the hut-like structures to prevent the spread of the disease. They were given food and water by sympathetic locals.
The tallest crypts can reach two to four stories high.
No one knows why the wooden structures were placed in the crypts since there were no navigable bodies of water around.
The cemetery, which overlooks the Fiagdon River valley stretching 17 km, contains about 100 ancient stone crypts that date back about 500 years.
The village lies within the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania in southern Russia. In the 7th century, the region was settled by Nomadic Alans, a group of people of Iranian origin.
Boat-like structures have been found in some of the crypts and even an oar is said to have been found there.
Though the road there is uncomfortable and relatively unsafe, the journey can be done by car.
Each crypt is believed to have been designated to a family or clan, where all members were buried. Skulls and bones can still be seen inside.
In those dwellings, the ancestors of the Ossetians that lived in the valley buried their loved ones along with their belongings.
Upon sensing the end was near, the last member of a family would reportedly go in his family crypt and wait for death to strike.
Despite the many tales, historians believe that the dwellings were built during a plague outbreak between the 16th and 18th centuries that swept the village.
Click through the gallery to learn more about this fascinatingly spooky site.
Dargavs Village: meet the ancient City of the Dead located in Russia
The world is filled with mysterious places
TRAVEL City of the dead
At first glance, the place looks like a medieval village, dotted with white dwellings on a grassy hill. But upon closer inspection, it’s clear that no living soul inhabits the settlement. This mysterious, eerie cemetery in a desolate part of Russia is filled with mystery. A site of death and remembrance, the City of the Dead is a living reminder of human's mortality and will to live.
Click through the gallery to learn more about this fascinatingly spooky site.