Derbent
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Derbent (Russian dɪrˈbjɛnt) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —n | |
| a port in S Russia, in the Dagestan Republic on the Caspian Sea: founded by the Persians in the 6th century. Pop: 106 000 (2005 est) | |
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| a screen or mat covered with a dark material for shielding a camera lens from excess light or glare. |
| a printed punctuation mark (‽), available only in some typefaces, designed to combine the question mark (?) and the exclamation point (!), indicating a mixture of query and interjection, as after a rhetorical question. |
derbent
city, Dagestan republic, southwestern Russia. The city lies in the narrow gap between the Caspian Sea and the Caucasus Mountains at their closest approach. Derbent was founded in AD 438 as a fortress to guard the principal caravan route from southwestern Europe to Southwest Asia. It fell to Arabs in 728, Tatars in 1220, and Russians in 1813. Many ancient monuments survive, including the ruins of the 5th-century citadel and an 8th-century cathedral mosque. The modern city's industries include wool spinning and wine making. A large cannery is also located in Derbent. In 2003 the ancient city and its numerous defensive structures were made a World Heritage site. Pop. (2002 prelim.) 100,800
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