The fortified region was strategically located on a natural hill that was convenient for defense, with rivers to the west and north and the Sunzhensky Range to the north, as well as the deep Assinskoye Gorge to the east and the wooded ridges of the Black Mountains to the south. The settlements formed several defensive belts around the central part, where the largest settlement, "Khatoi-Borz", was located. This central part was also believed to be the former citadel of ancient Magas.
