Turquoise water
A striking colour among the mountains.
Nikolamikovic82 — CC0 · Ninara from Helsinki, Finland — CC BY 2.0 · Brian Harrington Spier from Shanghai, China — CC BY-SA 2.0 · Paul — CC BY-SA 2.0 · Ibrahimjon — CC BY 2.5
Nurek Reservoir is a turquoise man-made lake among bare mountains on the Vakhsh River, southeast of Dushanbe. It lies about 55 km in a straight line from the centre of the capital, and visitors come for the colour of the water against the brown slopes. The reservoir formed behind the Nurek Dam, built between 1961 and 1980 when Tajikistan was a republic within the Soviet Union. The dam is 304 metres high; it was the tallest in the world when completed and is now the second tallest man-made dam. The water reaches out in long arms that wind between the hills, with rocky islands and ridges rising from it. Its colour shifts between turquoise and green with the light, and in spring the slopes turn green before fading to gold in summer. The dam is an industrial site, so enjoy the view from roadside viewpoints and follow local instructions about photography. The mountain roads are winding, so drive carefully or hire a local driver.
A striking colour among the mountains.
Water threading between hills.
Peaks rising from the water.
Vakhsh River, Khatlon Region, Tajikistan
It is an industrial site, so enjoy it from the viewpoints.
In spring when the slopes are green, or in mild autumn.