The Caucasus, Mountains With The Widest Linguistic and Cultural Diversity in The World

Photo Source: Roughguides.com via liputan6.com

INDEPHEDIA.com - The Caucasus is a mountain range in Eurasia which is located between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea.

In this mountain range that was formed approximately 28.49–23.8 million years ago, there is the highest mountain in Europe, Mount Elbrus.

The Caucasus is one of the most linguistically and culturally diverse regions in the world.

Independent countries in the Caucasus now include Russia (North Caucasus District), Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Meanwhile, large non-independent regions in the Caucasus include Ossetia, Chechnya, Ingushetia and Dagestan.

Mythology of the Caucasus

The word 'Caucasus' is said to be the Latin form of 'Kaukasos'. This word was used by ancient Greek geographers and historians.

In Greek mythology, the Caucasus mountains were considered a place of punishment for Prometheus.

It is said that he used to be annoyed with the god Zeus because he continued to allow human suffering.

In the end, he took Zeus' eternal fire and shared it with humans.

For his actions, Prometheus was punished and chained to a pillar in the Caucasus mountains.

Rich in Unique Culture

The Caucasus Mountains are a region rich in unique culture formed from a long history and the diverse ethnic groups that live there.

This unique culture includes diverse languages, traditions, music, dance, clothing and culinary practices.

Another interesting thing about the Caucasus Mountains which stretch between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea is that they resemble a large and sturdy wall.

Historically, this mountain range with a height of more than five thousand feet had only one natural access point.

The entrance to the mountainous area is in the form of a narrow valley with very high walls on both sides.

Not infrequently, with this shape, some people suspect that the Caucasus Mountains are a wall that confines Gog and Magog. (*)