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Lake Dengizkul

A long, salty desert lake in southern Bukhara region near the Turkmen border, protected as a reserve and listed as a Ramsar wetland for birds.

NatureAbout 2 hours to see

About the place

Dengizkul, "sea-lake", lies in a tectonic hollow at 181 metres above sea level in Alat district. Writers of the 10th century already knew it as a great lake full of fish and birds at the end of the Bukhara river. Today it is fed by drainage water from irrigated fields and, in flood years, by the Taykyr arm of the Zarafshan.

In 1987 the lake was about 43 km long and up to 9 km wide, with no fixed shoreline. The water is quite salty. It is a state reserve and a wetland of international importance for birds, so visits are mostly for birdwatching and need local arrangements.

Why go

  • Ramsar-listed wetland for birds
  • Remote desert landscape
  • A lake known since the 10th century

Sources (4)

  1. 1.Wikidata
  2. 2.ru.wikipedia.org
  3. 3.uz.wikipedia.org
  4. 4.openstreetmap.org

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