The name Gunib comes from the Avar word Guni-mir, which means “heap of stones”.
Situated on an isolated plateau at an altitude of 1,234 meters above sea level and surrounded by vertical cliffs, the village served as the last stronghold of Imam Shamil during the Caucasian War (1817-1864).
The restoration of the town began in 1862.
By 1895, trade had once again started to flourish, and by that time, the town had an Orthodox church and a post office.