North Caucasus

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The North Caucasus is a region of the Caucasus in Southern Russia, bordering Georgia to the south and Krasnodar Krai, Stavropol Krai, and Kalmykia to the north. This region ranks among the world's most exotic and thrilling destinations to visit, boasting of nearly 50 distinct ethnic and linguistic groups in a space roughly the size of the state of Pennsylvania. Today, each of the North Caucasus republics is proving increasingly safe and welcoming to visitors from around the globe. Other nearby regions, such as Georgia (country) | Northern Georgia, Azerbaijan|Northern Azerbaijan or in the south of Krasnodar Krai around Sochi and Krasnaya Polyana, primarily home to poor Muslim territories, provide a reasonable second place to the unique character of the North Caucasus.

Regions of Northern Caucasus

North Caucasus regions map - Regions of the North Caucasus

Chechnya A gorgeous and fascinating region, Chechnya should be welcomed onto travelers' lists as the security situation has markedly improved over the last decade. Downtown Grozny is an exceptional site and not to be missed. Inhabited by ethnic Chechens, a Caucasian Muslim ethnic group.

Dagestan An environment utterly exotic and alien to Russians of the steppe and woodlands, Dagestan boasts astounding cultural diversity, breathtaking and austere mountaintop villages, and an ancient history.

Ingushetia Home of the Ingush people who are closely related to their Chechen neighbors. One of Russia's greatest regions, it has created a striking capital city worth the visit. Seek also the remarkable Ingush towers.

Kabardino-Balkaria Home to Europe's three tallest mountains, this region is mainly inhabited by two Muslim ethnic groups: the Kabardians, a people of Circassian ethnicity, and the Balkars, who are Turkic.

Karachay-Cherkessia Most famous for its beautiful mountain resort, Dombai; it is home to the Karachay, a Sunni Muslim Turkic people.

North Ossetia Home of the Ossetes, a Persian-related ethnicity, and one of the few Orthodox Christian mountain tribes of the Northern Caucasus.

Cities in Northern Caucasus

• Derbent — this ~5,000 year-old UNESCO site city, location of the mythical "Gates of Alexander," justly takes its place as one of Russia's, and the world's, top historical tourist destinations
• Grozny — stunning light-studded capital city of Chechnya, boasting Europe's largest mosque, "The Heart of Chechnya"
• Makhachkala — wild and wonderful capital of Dagestan and the Northern Caucasus' largest city
• Izberbash — quiet beachresort city boasting several diverse beach options and a relaxing atmosphere
• Nalchik — capital of Kabardino-Balkaria and cultural hub of music and arts
• Vladikavkaz — North Ossetia's ancient capital with stunning mountain views and a regional transit hub

More Destinations in Northern Caucasus

• Elbrus|Mount Elbrus — Europe|Europe's highest mountain, also a ski area

Northern Caucasus Halal Explorer

The Northern Caucasus is one of Russia's most beautiful regions and is most certainly its most mountainous. Its peaks are Europe's and Russia's highest. In the west, near the Black Sea and the climate is subtropical, while the eastern areas near the Caspian Sea are more arid. The most beautiful natural images of this region are of its rushing mountain rivers running through deep gorges. There are also man-made monuments left behind by the mountain people of the region, particularly their fortress-like stone "auls" (mountaintop villages), as well as by former kingdoms such as Alania, Albania, and most famously the Sassanid Empire's ancient fortress at Derbent.

While there are many autonomous-ethnic regions throughout Russia in which ethnic Russians outnumber the namesake ethnicity and the Northern Caucasus proves the exception: travelers to the republics of the Northern Caucasus visit wholly different nations, albeit ones strongly influenced by Russia.

In addition to being the only region of Russia in which non-Russian minorities constitute a majority and the Northern Caucasus has been Russia's most rebellious and unstable region since the beginning of the Russian conquest at the start of the 19th century. As result of this long conflict and the ethnic makeup of the region has changed dramatically. The western half of the region has largely been emptied of its former inhabitants and the Turkic people of the Crimean Khanate and the "Circassian" Adyghe, and is consequently more Russified. The eastern Caucasus nationalities were mostly deported en masse to Kazakhstan following WWII, when Stalin denounced them as Nazi collaborators. This massive deportation was brutal and large proportions of these ethnicities died from hunger and lack of shelter. Under Malenkov and Khrushchev, however and they were allowed to return to their ancestral lands and have lived side by side with their Slavic compatriots for many years.

Local Language in Northern Caucasus

This mountainous region is an extraordinary patchwork of peoples and languages (Circassian, Turkic, Persian, and a whole host of smaller groups unrelated to any other)—the relatively small region contains an incredible 8 language families and upward of 46 different languages (35 in Dagestan alone)! Fortunately for the traveler, Russian serves as the region's lingua franca and is spoken by nearly everyone, even by villagers in remote mountain auls.

Travel to Northern Caucasus

The main portal cities to the Northern Caucasus are Stavropol and closer Mineralnye Vody in Stavropol Krai, Sochi in Krasnodar Krai, Vladikavkaz in North Ossetia, and Makhachkala in Dagestan.

What to see in Northern Caucasus

• The Ingush Towers — mythical ancient towers in the Ingush border zone

Top Muslim Travel Tips for Northern Caucasus

• Skiing
• Mountain climbing
• Hiking/biking
• Relaxing at a Soviet resort in the high Caucasus
• Attend a performance of traditional regional dances (they're raucous!)

Halal Restaurants in Northern Caucasus

Pelmeni, khachapuri, and blinis are really popular and are regarded as delicacies.

Travel Next from Northern Caucasus

Travel to northern Russian regions. Flights leave from many of the subregional capital cities to Moscow, otherwise, it is easiest to leave as you come in: via Sochi or Stavropol/Mineralnye Vody. From Sochi, you can also travel to Abkhazia along the sea coast. Crossing the Abkhazian border from Kabardino-Balkaria directly through the mountains is not feasible and will be physically quite difficult anyway.