Aydarkul Lake

It's not often that a miracle is born as a result of a disaster, but in the case of Aydarkul, that's exactly what happened.
happened. During the severe floods of 1969, the floodgates of the Shardara reservoir on the Syrdarya River had to be urgently opened: the capacity of the dam itself left much to be desired. Powerful streams of water poured into the Arnasai lowland, where there was only dry land for many kilometers around and where the Tuzkan lake appeared briefly in spring, disappearing without a trace with the onset of hot days. This is how the stunning Aydarkul Lake, the second largest lake in Uzbekistan, appeared on the site of the salt marsh basin.

The length is about 160 km.
The width is 34.8 km.
The area is 3478 km2.
The maximum depth is 33.64 m.
The average depth is 12.54 m.
The volume of water is 44.3 km3.
The coastline is 1,535 km long.
The height above sea level is 247 m.
Very soon, numerous species of fish were brought to Aydarkul – from walleye, bream and carp to snakehead, marinka and Samarkand limp. As a result, the lake began to provide fish for a third of Uzbekistan. And since then, fans of fishing for a fishing rod have often chosen this place to take their souls away.

In addition, the "turquoise sea in the middle of the desert" (as residents of Uzbekistan lovingly say about Aydarkul) was eventually inhabited by birds, including even those included in the Red Book: white-tailed eagle, steppe harrier, black vulture, lesser cormorant, curly pelican, pipit and many others. And the desert around Aydarkul is by no means lifeless – rather, on the contrary.

More than twenty species of plants grow in the vicinity of the lake, in which lizards and hares, partridges and pigeons hide. Every traveler who decides to visit Aydarkul will definitely meet a turtle and a huge monitor lizard near the lake, and if desired, they can even ride a two-humped tame camel.

By the way, the infrastructure in the Aydarkul area is very well developed, especially considering that the reservoir originated far from big cities and only about 400 families live permanently on its shores. In particular, yurt camps have been recreated in several places around the reservoir. The buildings, whose appearance exactly repeats the dwellings of Mongolian and Turkic nomads, in these camps are equipped with all the amenities familiar to modern people, including electricity, toilet and shower. This fact, as well as the stunning sandy beaches and warm, clear water, attracts thousands of tourists to Aydarkul every year.

The journey to Aydarkul begins in Bukhara or Samarkand. From there, you need to get to Nurata (the city is only 50 km from the lake) and only then head towards the lake. Tourists arriving at Aydarkul usually stay in one of the yurt camps, where they organize excursions, camel rides, trips to the lake, not to mention meals and other amenities.