LOCALIZATION OF BISHDAG AREA IN THE CENTRAL CISCAUCASIA ACCORDING TO WRITTEN AND ARCHAEOLOGICAL SOURCES

Abstract

Ibn Battuta’s narrative (1304−1369) the author described a trip which he made in 1334 from Azack to Madzhar and Bishdag area following the Uzbek Khan’s headquarters. What attracted his attention there was a hot mineral spring with healing properties. Ibn Battuta gave a description of the feast of Ramadan, which means that it took place in Uzbek Khan’s headquarters beyond settlements. Ibn Battuta’s text doesn’t allow localizing either the Uzbek Khan’s headquarters or the venue of the feast of Ramadan in 1334. The attempts made by T.B.Palimpsestova, A.P.Runich and Y.I.Narozhnyi leave out the information from the Ibn Battuta’s
narrative that the feast was held in nomads’ camp in the vicinity of mineral springs and the Pyatigorye mountains. The feast might have been held in the territory of the Podkumok river valley, which is bounded by Mashuk, Beshtau, Zheleznaya, Razvalka and Zmaika mountains–laccoliths. The territory can accommodate plenty of people, animals, marquees and bullock carts. The boundaries of the Bishdag area approximately could have matched the territory of the Mineral water column slope, which is located between the Stavropol Upland and the Pasture ridge in the interfl uves of the Kuban, the Kuma and the Terek rivers.