Derbend city in terms of history and culture (From conquest to Seljuks times)

Derbend, one of the most important cities in the Caucasus, serves as a bridge between Asia and North Europe, Central Asia and Anatolia. The city of Derbend is regarded as a highly important place considering the economic, political, and military conditions in the medieval period. This importance is further increased due to its shores by the Caspian Sea. The city of Derbend, which has seen the clash of several powers until the conquest by the Muslims, was generally ruled by the Sassanians. Byzantine-Sassanian battles occasionally took place in this city. Its famous walls have been built, under the rule of the Sassanians. After the emergence of Islam, the struggle between Byzantine and Sassanians has left its place to Muslim-Caspian struggle in Derbend. This struggle has continued for a long time. Although the ruling was overturned at times as the consequence of the struggle between the Muslims and Caspians, the city was generally held under the control of Muslims. In the meantime, the figure of the city changed greatly. Structures intended for the needs of the city were built in general. Witnessing battles by countless states and hosting numerous cultures as a result of its geographical location; this city has an extremely important role regarding cultural history. Various architectural structures, craftworks, the range of materials that were unearthed during excavations are important clues in our understanding of the cultural depth of this city. Furthermore, one of the important factors that increases the cultural diversity is having nuances in language, belief and lifestyle of the people that embody the city. The name of this city that is not frequently mentioned nowadays was highly renowned in the medieval history. Keywords: Derbend, Islam, Umayyad, Abbasid, Caspian, Culture