Erzi (village)

Erzi (Эрзи; Аьрзи) is a medieval village (aul) in the Dzheyrakhsky District of Ingushetia. It is part of the rural settlement (administrative center) of Olgeti. The entire territory of the settlement is included in the Dzheyrakh-Assa State Historical-Architectural and Natural Museum-Reserve and is under state protection.

Nomenclature
The word "Erzi" (Аьрзи) translates from the Ingush as 'eagle'. According to Ingush folklore, Erzi was founded on a place where there once was an eagle's nest.

Geography
It is located in western part of the mountainous region of Ingushetia 1315 m above sea level on the right bank of the Armkhi River, clearly visible from the road, and considered te be one of the main monuments of the Erzi Nature Reserve. The nearest tower settlements are: in the north — Hamishke and Koshk, in the southeast — Kerbite, in the west — Lyazhgi, in the east — Angeti.

History
The settlement is considered to be founded in the 16th century by Chard, the ancestor of several Ingush families, notably the Mamilovs, Yandievs, Burazhevs and Aldaganovs. Other sources attribute the foundation to Yand, the progenitor of the 'principal family‘ of Erzi who kept guard there and took tribute for passage. Erzi was home to several Ingush families and clans (teips), territorially attributed to the Fyappin, Metskhalin or Kistin society.

On May 14, 1733, natives of Erzi, Bodscha and Karadscha Yandiev, swore an oath of allegiance to Vakhtang VI of Kartli.

On January 8, 1811, Erzi became part of the Russian Empire through an agreement signed by the representatives Khasai and Itar Yandiev.

During the pre-Islamic period, a strong cultural and religious relationship existed with the neighbouring tower complexes Tyarsh and Shoan.

In 2012-2015 the tower complex was reconstructed. It has 8 combat, 2 semi-combat, 47 residential towers, 1 temple, and over 20 burial grounds, including the mausoleum of the famous tower builder - Yand.

In 2019, carbon dating revealed that Erzi was constructed between 1683 and 1723.

In 1931, a rare and very important find was made in the village of Erzi: a bronze censer in the shape of an eagle, known as Suleyman's Eagle, though some historians believe it be a detail of an ancient military standard. It was made in the 8th century (year 189 of the Hijri calendar) in the Arab Caliphate. In 1936 the statue was relocated to St. Petersburg, where it is exhibited in the Hall of the Culture and Art of the Hermitage Museum.

"Apparently, strong birds enjoyed special reverence among the local highlanders, and may have been the totem of the inhabitants of Erzi. It is no coincidence that the ancient and numerous family of the Mamilovs (the native Erzians), had an image of an eagle as their coat of arms. It is likewise no coincidence that the Armkhi River, roaring deep in the gorge, received from Ossetian neighbors, the, at first glance, unexpected name “Makkal-don” (meaning “river of kites”), and the Ingush themselves, the inhabitants of the gorge, are called among the Ossetians “Makkal” or “Makkalon” ”, i.e. "kite people". The eagle and the kite in ornithology (the science of birds) are close relatives, they belong to the same family - hawks. Consequently, behind the Ossetian "makkal" and the Ingush "erzi" are close concepts of raptors, the special role of which in the life and religious ideas of the population of the Dzherakh Gorge left an indelible mark in these places."