Targim () is a city-settlement (
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
The definition of a rural settlement depends on the country, in some countries, a rural settlement is any settlement in the areas defined as rural by a governmental office, e.g., by the national census bureau. This may include even rural towns. ...
(administrative center) of
Guli. The territory of the settlement is included in the
Dzheyrakh-Assa State Historical-Architectural and Natural Museum-Reserve and is under state protection.
Nomenclature
Some researchers associate Thargam (Targim) with the name of the legendary
Thargamos. A. Suleymanov believed that "Thargam" could mean "shield".
Geography
Targim is located in the south of Ingushetia, on the right bank of the
Assa River in the Targim basin. It lies at an elevation of 1,080 metres above sea level.
Nearby settlements include:
Egikal to the northwest, Barkhane to the west,
Khamkhi to the southwest, and Gureti to the south.
History
On the territory of Targim, remains of
megalithic
A megalith is a large Rock (geology), stone that has been used to construct a prehistoric structure or monument, either alone or together with other stones. More than 35,000 megalithic structures have been identified across Europe, ranging ...
cyclopean
Cyclopean masonry is a type of masonry, stonework found in Mycenaean Greece, Mycenaean architecture, built with massive limestone boulders, roughly fitted together with minimal Engineering tolerance, clearance between adjacent stones and with clay ...
dwellings dating back to the 2nd–1st millennium BC have been discovered. According to legend, the tower fortresses of Targim, Egikal and Khamkhi, located in the valley of
Ghalghaï Koashke
Ghalghai Koashke or Ghalghai Na'arghe () is the name of ancient Ingush outposts in the Assa valley of the Dzheyrakhsky District of Ingushetia, historically also known as the Durdzuk Gates or Gates of Durdzuketi. The entire territory is include ...
(“Ghalghaï outposts”), were founded by three brothers, the sons of the legendary Alby (in other sources "Gha"). The youngest of them was Targim (Thargam), who settled across the Assa River.
In the second half of the 18th century (1770s), the German researcher
J.A. Güldenstädt listed Targim among the total number of
Ingush
Ingush may refer to:
* Ingush language, Northeast Caucasian language
* Ingush people, an ethnic group of the North Caucasus
See also
*Ingushetia (disambiguation)
Ingushetia is a federal republic and subject of Russia.
Ingushetia may also refer ...
villages and districts.
Notes
References
Bibliography
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External links
Открытый КавказTargim: 3D virtual tour{{Rural localities in Ingushetia
Rural localities in Ingushetia