Metskhal
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Metskhal () is an abandoned
aul An aul; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; (; ) is a type of fortified village or town found throughout the Caucasus and Central Asia. They are generally built out of stone, on faces of ridges or against cliffs in order to provide protection against su ...
in the
Dzheyrakhsky District Dzheyrakhsky District (; , ) is an administrative and municipalLaw #5-RZ district (raion), one of the four in the Republic of Ingushetia, Russia. It is located in the south of the republic. The area of the district is .Official website of the Re ...
of
Ingushetia Ingushetia or Ingushetiya, officially the Republic of Ingushetia, is a republic of Russia located in the North Caucasus of Eastern Europe. The republic is part of the North Caucasian Federal District, and shares land borders with the country o ...
. It is part of the rural settlement of Lyazhgi (administrative center rural settlement).


Etymology

The name was most likely based on the Ingush word "metskhalg", meaning "swift", which was revered by the Ingush. Metskhal may also have a connection to the name of the ancient Georgian capital, Mtskheta.


Geography

Metskhal is located northeast of the village of Falkhan, on the spur of Mount Myat-Loam.


History

On January 8, 1811, the foremen of 13 ( Fyappin) villages, including Metskhal, signed an act of oath to the Empire
Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire that spanned most of northern Eurasia from its establishment in November 1721 until the proclamation of the Russian Republic in September 1917. At its height in the late 19th century, it covered about , roughl ...
. However, it is worth noting that even after these oaths by individual Ingush societies or clans, the nature of Russian–Ingush relations remained largely unchanged. In fact, both sides regarded these oaths as the conclusion of union treaties. According to the ''List of Populated Areas of the Military-Ossetian Okrug'' from 1859, Metskhal had 13 households and was part of the Military-Ossetian Okrug within the Kistin society. In Metskhal there were once separate but closely interconnected tower castle complexes belonging to the Tochievs, Dzhabagievs, and Kusievs. Some scholars argue that this tower complex functioned as the administrative, cultural, and economic centre of the late medieval Fyappin/Metskhalin society (in the 19th century). Metalworking was highly developed among the Ingush from ancient times. Local artisans skilfully combined various metalworking techniques, including graining, blackening, gilding, and inlay with multicoloured inserts. The most renowned jewellery-making centres among the Ingush included Metskhal and others. Christianity occupied a significant place in the religious history of the region. It first reached the Ingush from Georgia (beginning from the 12th–13th centuries and again in the 17th century), and later from Russia (18th–19th centuries). Early Christian stone-box burials from this period were found near Metskhal and other villages. The Metskhal tower complex was a large settlement consisting of two fortified castle complexes, including two battle towers. One of the battle towers had a flat roof and was clearly visible. Defensive walls and residential towers remained intact until 1944, when, following the
deportation of Chechens and Ingush The deportation of the Chechens and Ingush (, ) also known as Operation Lentil (; ) and the Aardakh genocide, was the Soviet forced transfer of the whole of the Nakh peoples, Vainakh (Chechens, Chechen and Ingush people, Ingush) populations o ...
, the entire complex was mined and destroyed. According to the stories passed down by the abreks (outlaws):


References


Bibliography

* * * * {{Rural localities in Ingushetia Rural localities in Ingushetia