Nizhne-Arkhyz Architectural and Archaeological Complex

About museum

In 1977 the Nizhne-Arkhyz historical, architectural and archaeological complex was established on the site of a medieval Alan settlement dated to the 7th–14th centuries. It was the capital of Alania, the city of Maas, whose Alans created a powerful state between the Laba and Argun rivers. Alania was the first state on the territory of Russia to adopt Christianity before the Christianization of Rus'. Its territory contains three 10th-century churches, 19th-century monastic buildings, an astronomical object known as the "solar calendar", and an ancient icon of Christ. The route of the Great Silk Road, linking the East with Byzantium, passed through here. The Nizhne-Arkhyz complex is known for its ancient Christian structures and for its multilayered culture, unique in our country.