The Sulak (russian: Сула́к, kum, Сулак (Sulak)/Къой-сув (Qoysuw), ce, ĠoysuLepiev 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 Ca ...

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 A ...

. It and most of its branches flow in canyons. Its main tributaries are, from north to southeast: *The Andi Koysu 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), Velyamino ...

. *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 basin. To the west is the crest of the Main Caucasian Range 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 town in the Republic of Dagestan, Russia, about northwest of Makhachkala. Population: . It is located where the north-flowing Sul ...

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 through a canal. Sulak

In 1735 the Sulak river was stipulated as defining the boundary between the Russian and the Persian empires.

References

{{Authority control Rivers of Dagestan Tributaries of the Caspian Sea