Khasavyurt, Dagestan: Caucasus Road Trip Through Chechnya

Khasavyurt sits on the Kumyk Plain in Dagestan, site of early Caucasian War battles. Visited by Decembrist Alexander Bestuzhev, Alexander Dumas père, Alexander Griboedov, and Leo Tolstoy, whose interactions with locals inspired 'Hadji Murad,' 'Boyhood,' and novellas. Today a multi-ethnic hub ('little Dagestan') of Avars, Chechens, and Kumyks, it's famed for cheap markets, tasty regional cuisine, and Znamensky Cathedral. With 50+ mosques and Islamic university, it has authentic vibe but limited tourist infrastructure—hotels basic, focus on parks and family cafes.