The Sulak (russian: Сула́к, kum, Сулак (Sulak)/Къой-сув (Qoysuw), ce, Ġoysu
[Lepiev A.S., Lepiev İ.A., Türkçe-Çeçençe sözlük, Turkoyŋ-noxçiyŋ doşam, Ankara, 2003]) drains most of the mountainous interior of
Dagestan
Dagestan ( ; rus, Дагеста́н, , dəɡʲɪˈstan, links=yes), officially the Republic of Dagestan (russian: Респу́блика Дагеста́н, Respúblika Dagestán, links=no), is a republic of Russia situated in the North C ...
northeast into the
Caspian Sea
The Caspian Sea is the world's largest inland body of water, often described as the world's largest lake or a full-fledged sea. An endorheic basin, it lies between Europe and Asia; east of the Caucasus, west of the broad steppe of Central Asia ...
. It and most of its branches flow in canyons. Its main tributaries are, from north to southeast:
*The
Andi Koysu
The Andi Koysu (russian: Андийское Койсу - ''Andiyskoye Koysu'', ka, ანდის ყოისუ - ''Andis Qoisu'') is a river in Dagestan (Russia) and Georgia. It starts at the confluence of the rivers Pirikiti Alazani and Tu ...
flows north-northeast and joins the Avar Koysu to become the Sulak. A few of its upper tributaries are in Georgia. Near the junction of the two rivers were the
Siege of Akhoulgo
The siege of Akhulgo (1839) was a siege during the Murid War in the Caucasus. General Grabbe besieged Imam Shamil in the rock-fortress of Akhulgo. After 80 days the rock was taken and most of the defenders were killed, but Shamil managed to escap ...
and the
Battle of Gimry
The Battle of Gimry, fought on 17-18 October 1832 during the Murid War, was General ’s capture of Ghazi Muhammad’s headquarters at Gimry. Ghazi Mohammad was killed but Imam Shamil escaped.
In early October (all dates old style), Velyaminov ...
.
*The Avar Koysu flows northeast to join the Andi Koysu, forming the Sulak. Its upper tributaries are the northeast-flowing Khzanor and the northwest flowing Dzhurmut.
*The Kara Koysu flows northeast and joins the Avar Koysu about northwest of Gergebil. North of Gergebil is the Irgan dam and reservoir. Its long upper tributaries include the Karalazuger, Tleyserukh and Risor.
*The Kazikumukh Koysu flows north and joins the Kara Koysu at Gergebil.
North of the Sulak basin is the
Terek basin and south of it is the
Samur
Samur may refer to:
People
* Samur Gunj (1380s-c.1455), a daughter of Elbeg Nigülesügchi Khan and his senior wife Kobeguntai
Places
* Qaleh Samur, a village in Gavork-e Sardasht Rural District, in the Central District of Sardasht County, West A ...
basin. To the west is the crest of the
Main Caucasian Range
The Main Caucasian Range (russian: Главный Кавказский хребет; ka, კავკასიონის მთავარი წყალგამყოფი ქედი; az, Baş Qafqaz silsiləsi) is a mountain range in th ...
of the
Caucasus Mountains
The Caucasus Mountains,
: pronounced
* hy, Կովկասյան լեռներ,
: pronounced
* az, Qafqaz dağları, pronounced
* rus, Кавка́зские го́ры, Kavkázskiye góry, kɐfˈkasːkʲɪje ˈɡorɨ
* tr, Kafkas Dağla ...
and to the east are many short rivers that flow down into the Caspian.
The Sulak proper starts at the junction of the Andi and Avar Koysus. It flows northeast into the broad
Chirkey Reservoir. It then flows northwest through the narrow Miatli canyon and reservoir. It reaches flat country at Miatli and leaves the last mountains just south of
Kizilyurt
Kizilyurt (russian: Кизилю́рт; av, Гъизилюрт; kum, Къызыл-юрт, ''Qızıl-yurt'') is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, town in the Republic of Dagestan, Russia, about northwest of Makhachkala. Population: . It ...
and enters the Terek-Sulak Lowland about from its source. Here there are meanders, former channels and canals. It flows northeast about , turns east and reaches the Caspian after about . Its delta is a smaller version of the Terek River delta about north. The lower Sulak supplies water to
Makhachkala
Makhachkala ( rus, Махачкала, , məxətɕkɐˈla, links=yes),; av, Махӏачхъала, Maħaçqala; ce, ХӀинжа-ГӀала, Hinƶa-Ġala; az, Маһачгала, Mahaçqala; nog, Махачкала; lbe, Махачкъала; ...
through a canal.
![Sulak](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/43/Sulak.png)
In 1735 the Sulak river was stipulated as defining the boundary between the
Russian
Russian(s) refers to anything related to Russia, including:
*Russians (, ''russkiye''), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries
*Rossiyane (), Russian language term for all citizens and peo ...
and the
Persian empires
The history of Iran is intertwined with the history of a larger region known as Greater Iran, comprising the area from Anatolia in the west to the borders of Ancient India and the Syr Darya in the east, and from the Caucasus and the Eurasian S ...
.
References
{{Authority control
Rivers of Dagestan
Tributaries of the Caspian Sea