Why the Seven Lakes Are Tajikistan's Scenic Wonder

The Seven Lakes of Tajikistan — Haft Kul — are seven mountain lakes lined up in one valley of the western Fann Mountains, all of them reachable by road. They form a staircase of water, and each step looks different. This article explains the nature behind the view: how the lakes formed, why their colours change, how altitude shapes the valley and how the seasons alter it.

Key facts

• Where: the Shing river valley in the western Fann Mountains, Panjakent district, Sughd region, northern Tajikistan.
• Number and order: seven lakes, from the lowest Mijgon (Nezhigon) through Soya, Gushor, Nofin, Khurdak and Marguzor to the highest, Hazorchashma.
• Height gain: roughly 760 m between the lowest and the highest lake, spread over more than 14 km of valley.
• Largest: Marguzor, up to about 45 m deep.
• Smallest: Khurdak.
• How they formed: six lakes are dammed by rock falls and landslides; Hazorchashma is fed by springs.
• Getting there: about an hour from Samarkand to the border, then by road up the valley — see the Seven Lakes day tour.

Why Are the Seven Lakes So Different from One Another?

At first glance the Seven Lakes may look like one series of mountain lakes. In fact each one has its own size, depth, shoreline and colour. The smallest, Khurdak, is a pond-sized lake you pass in a few minutes; Marguzor, the largest, stretches for kilometres between steep slopes. Some lie in narrow gorges in the shade of cliffs, others in open sections of the valley with villages on their banks.

The reason is the way the valley was formed. The lakes did not fill one basin: each was created separately when rock blocked the river.

A valley dammed by rock

Most of the lakes have a landslide origin. Earthquakes and mudflows brought down rock from the slopes into the narrow gorge of the Shing river, and the river backed up behind each natural dam. Water still seeps through some of these barriers from one lake to the next, and between Soya and Gushor the river runs fast through the rubble.

Hazorchashma, the highest lake, is the exception. Its name means "a thousand springs", and it is fed by springs and small streams rather than by the river dammed below it.

Altitude: a climb of about 760 metres

The lakes rise step by step. According to the measurements most often quoted, Mijgon lies at about 1,640 m, Soya at about 1,700 m, Gushor at about 1,770 m, Nofin at about 1,820 m and Khurdak at about 1,870 m. The road then climbs to Marguzor at about 2,140 m and finally to Hazorchashma at about 2,400 m.

You notice the difference. Air at the top is thinner and cooler than at the first lake, and on a summer day the mountain valley can be much cooler at night than the plains around Samarkand. The shores change too: at Soya, old plane trees shade the water, while Marguzor lies between open, steep slopes.

Why the colours change

The lakes are known for shades from turquoise and emerald to deep blue, and sometimes even a reddish tint. Several things work together:

• Depth: deep water such as Marguzor looks darker blue; shallow water near the shore looks lighter and greener.
• Light: the sun moves across a narrow valley, so a lake in shadow in the morning can be bright in the afternoon. Mijgon is said to change from dark blue in the morning to green and blue during the day.
• Minerals and sediment: dissolved minerals and fine sediment from the mountains affect the colour. Hydrologists suggest that mineral-rich underwater currents explain the occasional reddish tint of Nofin and Marguzor.
• Water level: the lakes fill with meltwater and usually reach their highest level around mid-July; in spring some are noticeably lower.

Seasons in the Shing valley

Spring: snow still lies on the peaks and water levels are lower than in summer.

Summer: the lakes are full and the road is open to the last lake, although parts of it along Nofin and Marguzor can be flooded for short stretches. Snow can remain on the high peaks until late July.

Autumn: cooler days, and the water level drops again.

Winter: Marguzor and Hazorchashma freeze, and snow can close the road in the valley for several months. Villagers stock up for the winter for this reason.

Villages on the shore

The valley is not a wilderness. Small villages lie along the road, and at the southern end of Marguzor houses stand right above the water. Padrud, beyond the fourth lake, is the largest village. People here raise livestock and grow crops on small plots, which you see in the small fields and grazing animals along the road. Please treat the villages as people's homes: ask before you photograph someone.

The lakes have a cultural story as well — local people tell the legend of the Seven Sisters to explain where they came from.

Practical tips

• For full lakes and an open road, plan for summer or early autumn; ask us about other months.
• Bring layers: the top of the valley is about 760 m higher than the first lake.
• Morning and afternoon light change the colours — if photography matters, allow time at Marguzor.
• Wear shoes with a good grip; the shores are rocky and steep in places.
• Walk slowly at the upper lakes if you feel short of breath.

Plan it with TravelBliss

We take travellers from Samarkand to the lakes on the Seven Lakes Tajikistan Day Tour from Samarkand, or with a night in a guesthouse on the Two-Day Pendjikent and Seven Lakes tour. For what you see at each stop, read our lake-by-lake guide to Seven Lakes and Panjakent. Prices depend on group size and season — see the tour page or contact us.