Travel ideas for Tajikistan - unique sights, worth Guinness records

The highest dam in the world is located in Tajikistan, not far from Nurek city. The project of the dam on the Vahsh river has started to develop in the middle of the 20th century. The hydroelectric power station was already in operation in 1972, but the construction work was completed 7 years later. The height of the dam of the Nureksk hydroelectric power station is 304 meters. The water basin on the Vahsh River is also one of the largest in the world; Its surface forms 98 q. Km
Power generation is just one of the purpose of the hydropower plant. The huge water basin allows to irrigate the nearby fields during the whole agricultural period. The agricultural purpose of the hydroelectric power station is not an incidental matter - during the dry period, the local inhabitants have to save their electricity. Their production is declining substantially, and the bulk of the water is used for irrigation. Thousands of tourists visit this area annually to see the highest dam on Earth. This place looks particularly beautiful in the spring, when the dam and the water basin are surrounded with the lush green landscapes ... Complete sights collection

In the Pamir at the height of 3 263 meters above sea level is the Saressee. The surface of the basin forms 80 q. Km, and the maximum depth reaches 505 meters. The Sarassee is one of the few on earth, the date of its formation - February 5, 1911, known. On this day there was a strong landslide in the mountains, as a result of the Murgab river was flooded.
During the collapsion some mountain villages were completely destroyed and the Usoi dam - the natural dam with the height of 567 meters - was formed. The lake formed as a result of the fall was named in honor of the destroyed mountain village of Sares. A few years after the formation, the lake remained stagnant. Then the source has formed in the natural causeway. For more than a century, the water from the glaciers flows constantly into the lake. At present its length is about 75 km.
The volume of water that accumulated in the lake is about 17 sq.km. This value frightens the ecologists and the locals. The natural dam has long since lost the old reliability and can break through at any moment. While the enthusiasts of ecotourism enjoy the magnificent beauty of the lake and its extent, the researchers from all over the world try to solve the security problem. The dambreak can be an ecological disaster for several states: Tajikistan, Kazakhstan Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan. ... Complete sights collection

Yashilkul Lake, located in Southern Pamir, is one of the most striking natural sights in Tajikistan. The height of the lake above sea level is 3 734 meters, and its mirror surface is 36 q. Km The depth of the lake is also quite impressive and reaches 50 meters. The ancient rock inscriptions were discovered during the research of the territory adjacent to the lake. They have a thrown on the history of sea formation. According to the main version, it was formed in the 13th century.
Because of the strong landslide, Alichur Bergfluss was sealed off. Gradually, the lake has become quite large because of the active glacier melting. The glaciers have been feeding the lake for more than seven centuries. From Yashilkul comes the great Gunt River. Literally 'Yashilkul' can be translated from Tadshikisch as 'the green lake', which completely reflects the main characteristics of the water basin. The water in the lake is emerald green.
Another special feature of the water basin is the low water temperature, even in summer it is not more than 14 degrees. The tourists, who want to warm up in the mountains, can visit the hot Issyk-Bulak springs near the lake. Since the ancient times, the locals keep this source for sacred and have built the special water basin next door. Some sound structures have been preserved until our days. The local inhabitants behave very respectfully towards the lake and believe that the mythical animal Tyuya-Su ('the water camel) lives in it. ... Complete sights collection

A large mountain crater, Karakul, is situated in Tajikistan. It’s incredibly attractive from a research point of view. The diameter of the crater is about 45 kilometers. The structure was formed about 10 million years ago. The main feature of the crater is its location, 6 000 meters above sea level. So, it can be considered the highest meteorite crater in the world.
It was possible to discover this unique geological formation only thanks to satellite images. That significant event happened a few years ago. Another interesting feature is a lake of about 25 km in diameter filling the crater. The area around the water attracts scientists. Other parts of the structure are completely deserted.
Certain types of plants, including a feather grass and a wormwood, grow along the lake. You can see the land covered with salt everywhere there, as the water is very salty. The lake flows into several rivers that are rich in fish. In general, this region is very dry with critically small amount of precipitation. In the period from November to April, Karakul Lake is frozen, and in summer the water in the salt lake can be warmed up to +12C. ... Complete sights collection