Iskanderkul Lake

Iskanderkul lies at roughly 2,200 metres on the northern side of the Fann Mountains, where the Saritag and Khaidarkan rivers meet and the Iskanderdarya flows out. It is a little over three square kilometres in area and around 70 metres deep at its deepest, a lake formed when a landslide dammed the valley. The water changes from milky turquoise to deep blue with the light, and bare grey and ochre ridges rise steeply on every side.

Alexander's lake

The name means 'Alexander's lake', and Tajik storytelling has given it several legends. In one, Alexander the Great, campaigning in Sogdiana in 329–327 BC, flooded a rebellious village by damming the river, creating the lake. In another, his beloved horse Bucephalus drowned here, and on moonlit nights a white horse is said to rise from the water to graze on the shore. Both are legends: there is no evidence Alexander came this far into the mountains, and Bucephalus died in India. They are told with affection all the same.

Around the lake

The outflow drops over the Fann Darya waterfall, about 40 metres high, which you reach by a short path and a viewing platform above the gorge. A few minutes' walk from the shore is Zmeinoe or 'Snake Lake', a small, clear pool named for the harmless water snakes that live in it. Simple guesthouses and a holiday camp sit on the eastern shore, and the slopes behind offer walks of an hour to a full day; serious trekkers continue south into the heart of the Fann range.

Getting there

Iskanderkul is reached from the main Dushanbe–Khujand road, which crosses the Hisor range through the Anzob tunnel at about 3,300 metres; from the turn-off a rough road climbs some 20 kilometres up the valley. From Dushanbe allow around three to four hours; from Penjikent, via the Zarafshan valley and Ayni, a little longer. It fits naturally into a Samarkand–Penjikent–Dushanbe traverse, with a night on the lake.

When to go

The lake is at its best from June to early October. Nights are cold even in summer, and from late autumn snow can make the side road difficult. Bring warm layers and sun protection: the air is thin and the light strong.