Dora, Fortress and heritage site in Tazbichi, Russia

Dora is a fortress near Tazbichi in the Itum-Kalinsky District, standing on elevated ground. The structure features thick stone walls that form a compact defensive system.

Dora is the clan fortress of the Chantiy teip, centred on the castle-type Dora Tower with a single loophole. In 1960 the archaeologist V. I. Markovin surveyed and measured the tower as part of an expedition. The tower was restored in 2010. A second tower, Dora II, stands 500 m to the southwest on a cliff of Mount Dora.

The name Dora comes from the Persian word for a mountain pass or gate, fitting a tower placed where the Dorekhoy once watched the Argun and Dorkhoyn-Erk gorges. The tower belongs to the Chantiy teip, and its walls carry carved rhombuses, a cross, and stones with a five-fingered hand and a deer.

Visitors reach the site through the village of Tazbichi and should plan to come during daylight hours. The paths to the fortress can be uneven, so sturdy shoes are recommended.

The tower's walls are built from stones of different shapes and sizes, fitted almost like a mosaic with only minimal lime-clay mortar. On the south wall, near the base, a stone bears a carved five-fingered hand; two other stones show a deer with legs upward and a tamga-like sign.