Caspian Sea

The middle Caspian lies between the western Caucasian coast and the arid shores south of Mangyshlak. Its waters connect the northern sea, reached through the Volga, with the deeper southern basin. Merchants sailing from Astrakhan used the Caspian to reach Persia and the eastern coast, where landing places linked shipping to the caravan routes across the deserts towards Khiva and Bukhara.