Caspian Sea

The western Caspian shore runs below the mountains of Dagestan, with a narrow coastal plain linking the country around Tarki to Derbent and lands farther south. This coast formed part of the Volga–Caspian trade network, in which ships and overland caravans connected northern markets with Shirvan and Persia. Beyond the coastal strip the mountains rise sharply, while the middle Caspian opens eastwards.