Tavan

Tavan was an island and crossing on the lower Dnipro, where branches of the river and a chain of islands made passage between the steppe and Crimea possible. Ottoman and Crimean fortifications guarded both banks and the island itself. Their position made Tavan a prize in the struggles for control of the river. Russian and Cossack forces captured the forts in the campaign of 1695; the Treaty of Constantinople in 1700 required their demolition.