Maykop

Maykop lies beside the Belaya, a river descending from the western Caucasus to join the Kuban. Its name in the Adyghe language is commonly interpreted as the valley of wild apple trees. The surrounding foothills and river valleys were part of the lands of the Circassian peoples. Here the wooded slopes of the mountains give way to the plains, and streams carry their waters north towards the Kuban.