Today the notion of the North Caucasus evokes highlands, untamed tribal societies, bandits, warfare and fierce freedom-loving people, thanks to various infamous Russian literary classics and their representation in Western media. The sixteenth-century North Caucasus, however, was much more complex and diverse than such stereotypical representations portray. It was an idiosyncratic region compared to the lands surrounding it in terms of its geographical features, social and political structures, and the diversity among its peoples. The sixteenth century marked the beginning of a new phase in the history of the North Caucasus, its borderlandisation between the Ottoman Empire and the Tsardom of Muscovy. In this process, the landscape and geography of the North Caucasus played a significant role for both the imperial powers and the peoples of the region.

The Land

Geographically, the North Caucasus is bounded by the Black and Azov seas to the west, the Caspian Sea to the east, the southern slope of the Greater Caucasus Mountains to the south, and the Kuma-Manych Depression and the Kuban River to the north. The northern slopes and westernmost part of the Greater Caucasus Mountains, including its southern slopes at the western end, are also considered a part of the North Caucasus region. The North Caucasus terrain comprises various types of landscapes – coastlines along the Black and Caspian seas, fertile plains, steppes, valleys, high and low mountains, and foothills.

With a width of 50 to 200 kilometres, the Greater Caucasus mountain range not only divides the Caucasus into its northern and southern parts but also constitutes the traditional border between Europe and Asia. Stretching over 1,200 kilometres from southeast to northwest, it has been a formidable barrier throughout history. The Greater Caucasus Mountains are divided into three sections – western, central and eastern. The western section stretches from the Taman Peninsula as far as the source of the Kuban River with an average height of 2,500–3,000 metres. The mountain range in the west, lying parallel with the shore, leaves a very narrow coastal strip with rugged terrain. The central section is the widest and highest of the Greater Caucasus Mountains, going as far as the Daryal Pass, which stands at 2,382 metres. This section includes Mount Elbrus, the highest mountain in Europe with a height of 5,629 metres, and Mount Kazbek at 4,877 metres. Daghestan constitutes the eastern section of the main mountain range.