River channels
Gravel banks.
Екатерина Борисова — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Nikolai Bulykin — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Екатерина Борисова — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Екатерина Борисова — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Nikolai Bulykin — CC BY-SA 4.0
Zarafshan National Park is a nature reserve along the right bank of the Zarafshan river, from the Pervomayskaya dam on the border with Tajikistan to Chupan-Ata hill, 8 km from Samarkand. One of its sections lies about 11 km east of central Samarkand in a straight line. The reserve was created on 11 May 1975 to protect the last surviving foothill «tugai» forest in Uzbekistan, a dense riverside woodland of willow, oleaster and sea buckthorn. Before that the area had been a game reserve since 1958, set up to protect a local race of pheasant, the Zarafshan pheasant. It later became a national park in two separate sections. The river splits into many channels between gravel banks and small islands, lined with trees and shrubs that turn yellow in autumn and flower in spring. The place has a quiet, rural feel, with birds on the water and livestock grazing at the edges. The park is a peaceful spot for walking and birdwatching near Samarkand, without big visitor facilities. Go with a local guide or check which areas are open to visitors first; spring and autumn are the nicest seasons.
Gravel banks.
Willow and buckthorn.
On the water.
Right bank of the Zarafshan river, near Samarkand, Uzbekistan
Few; going with a local guide helps.
In spring or autumn.