Astrakhan Tatars (Tatar: Əsterxan tatarları, Əsterhan tatarlary, Ashtarkhan tatarları; Russian: Астраханские Татары) are an ethnic subgroup of the Tatar.
In the 15th to 17th-centuries, the Astrakhan Tatars inhabited the Astrakhan Khanate (1459–1556), which was also inhabited by the Nogai Horde, and the Astrakhan Tatars exerted a profound effect on Nogais. Since the 17th century, there has been an increased interaction and ethnic mixing of the Astrakhan Tatars with Volga Tatars.
Astrakhan (Russian: Астрахань, IPA: [ˈastrəxənʲ] ) is the largest city and administrative centre of Astrakhan Oblast in southern Russia. The city lies on two banks of the Volga, in the upper part of the Volga Delta, on eleven islands of the Caspian Depression, 100 km (62 mi) from the Caspian Sea, with a population of 475,629 residents at the 2021 Census. At an elevation of 28 meters (92 ft) below sea level, it is the lowest city in Russia.
Astrakhan was formerly the capital of the Khanate of Astrakhan (a remnant of the Golden Horde) of the Astrakhan Tatars, and was located on the higher right bank of the Volga, eleven kilometres (6.8 mi) from the present-day city. Situated on caravan and water routes, it developed from a village into a large trading centre, before being conquered by Timur in 1395 and captured by Ivan the Terrible in 1556 and in 1558 it was moved to its present site.