The North Caucasus

In the seventh century, Khan Kubrat succeeded in uniting numerous Bulgar tribes and founded Old Great Bulgaria, a powerful state extending from the areas around the North Caucasus to the lands between the Black and Caspian seas.
Kubrat ruled Old Great Bulgaria until his death around 665. After his death, the state broke into several parts, and some Bulgar tribes settled permanently in the North Caucasus. They left a lasting imprint there, influencing the region's ethnic and cultural character.

The North Caucasus thus became a significant territory associated with early Bulgarian statehood and history, as a place of Bulgar settlement and political activity following the collapse of Great Bulgaria.