Tajikistan: The sixth lake in Fann Mountains

The Seven Lakes, or Haft Kul, are a chain of seven mountain lakes strung through a narrow valley in the foothills of the Fann Mountains. Each lake has a slightly different color, ranging from deep blue to turquoise and green, depending on the depth, minerals, and light. What makes them especially striking is the contrast between the vivid water and the surrounding landscape of rocky mountains and sparsely vegetated slopes.

The lakes become progressively more remote as you travel up the valley, passing small villages and grazing livestock along the way. While the scenery feels dramatic, the area is also very much a lived-in landscape, with local communities relying on the valley much as they have for generations.

Below is the sixth and final lake that was accessible when we visited.  The water was the perfect reflector of the snow-capped mountains.