Gek gel Azerbaijan. Biodiversity of the surroundings of Lake Gek Gel in the Lesser Caucasus of the Azerbaijan Republic. Cognac with a poetic name

These lakes really have the most diverse, unusual shades of water: red, crimson, blue-green, blue, yellow, white and even black.

Lake Blanca, Washington

Tivu Ata Polo

Deep red lake at Sanetsch pass in Switzerland

"Colorful" lakes are scattered throughout the globe.
The national poet of Azerbaijan Samad Vurgun called the Gek-Gel lake (that is, “Blue Lake”), which is located at an altitude of 1576 m in the Asgun Gorge, “the Queen of Lakes” for its amazing picturesqueness. Small in area (0.8 sq. km.), but quite deep (93 m), it is widely known for its bright blue color. This is how its waters are colored by salts of various minerals and large amounts of hydrogen sulfide, which are supplied by numerous streams.

Gek-Gel.

On the island of Kunashir (Kuril Islands) there is a milky-white lake of intense color. The lake is boiling. It has been established that it is filled with a concentrated solution of sulfuric and hydrochloric acids, and hot volcanic gases rise all the time from its bottom, which heat the water to a boil.
White, but not boiling, lakes are known on the Indonesian island of Java and on the Japanese islands.

In the south of European Russia, Western Siberia and Central Asia there are many lakes with purple-red water color. During sunset, they change their color somewhat and seem to resemble bowls filled with molten gold. This type of lake includes, for example, the famous salt lake of the Lower Volga region - Elton (translated from Kazakh Altyn-nur means “golden lake”).

Elton

Near Astrakhan there are “raspberry” lakes. They differ not only in color, but also in their unusual raspberry-like aroma. That is why once upon a time the salt, which was extracted from these lakes in the amount of 100 poods annually, was considered the best and was supplied exclusively to the table of Empress Catherine II. Painted in a pale pink or orange color, which, however, soon disappeared in the sun, it retained a persistent aroma of raspberries or violets. Such properties of the salt of these lakes are explained by the presence of small salt-loving red brine shrimp in their waters. As they die and decompose, they give the salt its unique odors. These crustaceans are a favorite delicacy of flamingos.

Lakes with water from pink to bright red are also known in the sands of the Karakum desert in the Uzboy riverbed, as well as in Western Siberia. The well-known Raspberry Lake is located on the territory of the Kulunda steppe, in the south of Western Siberia. But it’s not just its color that makes it stand out among the thousands of local lakes. The fact is that in the water of this lake... a stone is constantly being born and growing. As it turned out, the water in Raspberry Lake is saturated with magnesium salts, and the underground springs that feed it contain soda. When mixed, these solutions form a mass that immediately turns to stone. The local population widely uses this extraordinary natural “factory of building materials”, but in the conditions of the steppe they are in acute shortage.
In some cases, purple bacteria are the culprits behind the pink color of water in lakes.

There is even a unique two-color lake on the Japanese island of Kyushu. One half of it is colored yellow due to sulfur impurities, and the other is pink, since iron oxides come out at the bottom.
Lakes with red water are also found on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea in Western Europe. Lake Colorado (i.e. “Red”) is similar, seemingly abandoned at a height (4550 m) in the South American Cordillera (Bolivia).

An interesting “colored” lake is known in Algeria, near the city of Sidi Bel Abbes, among the picturesque Atlas Mountains. The local population, in an arid climate, knows how to appreciate even small sources of water, but the water of this lake, although not salty, is not diverted into irrigation canals, nor is it used for drinking. You will not see a single fisherman on its banks. It turns out that the lake basin is filled not with water, but with real ink. Only two small rivers flow into it. But the waters of one of them are saturated with iron salts, and the other, which flows through the swamp, contains the remains of various vegetation. Mixing, they turn the lake into a large natural inkwell

Sidi Bel Abbes, Algeria

But on the island of Flores in Indonesia, on the top of one of the volcanoes, there are not one, but three “colored” lakes, with water of different colors. In one of them the water is bright red, in another it is pale blue, and in the third it is white like milk.
Lakes in the crater of Keli Mutu volcano, Flores island, Indonesia

How can we explain the unusual colors of these lakes? It turns out that the internal forces of the Earth and... chemistry are to blame for this. The lakes were formed in different craters of the volcano, rich in various minerals. Red, as you guessed, contains a lot of iron compounds, and the water here “behaves” calmly. In the blue and white lakes, salts of sulfuric and hydrochloric acids are dissolved in various concentrations. The water here is boiling all the time, and thick steam swirls above it.

Tiwu ata Polo, Flores Island, Indonesia

Lake Goygol (Azerbaijan) - detailed description, location, reviews, photos and videos.

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One of the most beautiful lakes in Azerbaijan, which bears the modest and cozy eastern name of Goygol, is definitely worth a visit. Located in the west of the country, this reservoir is part of the national park of the same name, so the richness of the surrounding flora and fauna here can only be envied. Unfortunately, only walruses can swim in the lake - even in August the water does not rise above +17 °C, but the local landscapes more than compensate for this shortcoming.

From Azerbaijani Goygol is translated as “blue lake”, and the name fully justifies the appearance of the reservoir - the water here is of amazingly beautiful color, clean, transparent even at great depths. By the way, this is also one of the largest lakes in Azerbaijan, although, of course, it cannot compete with Baikal: Goygol is 2800 m long, about 800 m wide, the depth varies from an average of 30 m to an impressive maximum of 96 m.

As a rule, tourists come to the northern shore of the lake, where the resort of the same name is located. The local microclimate and air have a beneficial effect on people suffering from diseases of the respiratory tract and nervous system.

National Park

Around the lake there are as many as 423 species of trees and shrubs, as well as medicinal plants. Along the banks of Goygol live red deer and roe deer, bears and wild boars, wolves, foxes, mountain goats, jackals and badgers, porcupines, and lynxes. But in the lake itself there are trout.

There are several routes around the lake and in the national park, but it is not recommended to go along them on your own - it is better to take a guide who will show you the most picturesque corners of the park and the most beautiful views of the lake.

What to see

The Goygol area is notable not only for its national park and lake; it turns out that since the 19th century, German colonists settled here en masse, and on August 22, 1819, they founded the city of Elenendorf - the future Khanlar - on the site of the ancient village of Khanlyglar. Today, the German heritage is sensitively protected, so that in the area you can see about 30 historical and architectural monuments belonging to the hands of the pedantic Teutons. In particular, in Khanlar it is worth visiting the Lutheran church (1854) and three bridges built by German hands.

The local cultural heritage is also of interest: the Gabriel Temple in the village of Shakhriyar (1674), the Anagid mausoleum in Chaykend, the Maiden Tower in Uchbulag, cemeteries of the late Bronze Age - early Iron Age in the territory of Gushgara and Balchyly.

Coordinates

Address: Goygol district, Goygol national park.

You can get to the lake by direct buses from Baku or Ganja, which stop in the city of Goygol.

To the question: What “colored” lakes do you know? given by the author Neuropathologist the best answer is the Five Flower Lakes in Jiuzhaigon National Park (China) are known to many for their clear turquoise water. The photograph clearly shows trees lying on the bottom.

This volcanic lake in Flores is given its bright turquoise color by single-celled algae and bacteria.


Algae can change the color of lake water to the color of hot chocolate.


Lake Blanca in Mt Baker-Snoqualmie National Park, Washington (USA). The color of the water of this lake resembles the color of sea water.


Yamdrok Tso is translated from Tibetan as “turquoise lake”. This artificial lake, formed during the construction of a dam, is located at an altitude of more than 4500 meters above sea level in the Tibetan mountains

Deep red lake on the Sanetsch pass in Switzerland.


Large salt lake in Uyuni (Bolivia). The red color is caused by a large number of microscopic organisms living in the upper layer of water and the crust of salt.

Answer from 22 answers[guru]

Hello! Here is a selection of topics with answers to your question: What “colored” lakes do you know?

Answer from Kairat[expert]
salty and fresh, for example Lake Balkhash is half blue and the other half green

Answer from Sit[active]
Lake Dalneye in Kamchatka

Answer from freshly salted[guru]
There are a lot of so-called “colored” lakes on the geographical map. These lakes really have the most diverse, unusual shades of water: red, crimson, blue-green, blue, yellow, white and even black.
Such lakes are scattered throughout the globe. Let's name just a few of them and try to explain the reasons for their unusual coloring.
In the Carpathian Mountains near the village of Sinyak, not far from the city of Svalyava in the Transcarpathian region of Ukraine, at an altitude of 700 m above sea level, Lake Sinyak is located. Sulfur compounds dissolved in it give the water an intense blue color.
There are especially many such lakes in the Caucasus Mountains. So, not far from Lake Ritsa there is a small blue lake. Another blue lake is located in the Chersky Gorge of Kabardino-Balkaria. It amazes with the bright blue-green color of the water, reminiscent of a solution of copper sulfate. This is how its waters are colored by salts of various minerals and a large amount of hydrogen sulfide, which is supplied to the lake by underground springs.
The national poet of Azerbaijan, Samed Vurgun, called Gek-Gel Lake (that is, “Blue Lake”), which is located at an altitude of 1576 m in the Asgun Gorge, “the Queen of Lakes” for its amazing picturesqueness. Small in area (0.8 sq. km.), but quite deep (93 m), it is widely known for its bright blue color. This is how its waters are colored by salts of various minerals and large amounts of hydrogen sulfide, which are supplied by numerous streams.
There are many white lakes around the globe. In Russia alone, up to 20 lakes have the name “White”. Many of them are located among forests and numerous rivers and lakes of the Vologda region. It would seem that the lake is like a lake, but when on its rather large water surface, with an area of ​​1125 sq. km, the wind raises the waves, it seems to be covered with white lambs. Indeed, at this time, eroding the clayey shores of the lake, the water acquires a whitish color.
On the island of Kunashir (Kuril Islands) there is a milky-white lake of even more intense color. The lake is boiling. It has been established that it is filled with a concentrated solution of sulfuric and hydrochloric acids, and hot volcanic gases rise all the time from its bottom, which heat the water to a boil.
White, but not boiling, lakes are known on the Indonesian island of Java and on the Japanese islands.
In the south of European Russia, Western Siberia and Central Asia there are many lakes with purple-red water color. During sunset, they change their color somewhat and seem to resemble bowls filled with molten gold. This type of lake includes, for example, the famous salt lake of the Lower Volga region - Elton (translated from Kazakh Altyn-nur means “golden lake”).
Near Astrakhan there are “raspberry” lakes. They differ not only in color, but also in their unusual raspberry-like aroma. That is why once the salt, which was extracted from these lakes in the amount of 100 poods annually, was considered the best and was supplied exclusively to the table of Empress Catherine II. Painted in a pale pink or orange color, which, however, soon disappeared in the sun, it retained a persistent aroma of raspberries or violets. Such properties of the salt of these lakes are explained by the presence of small salt-loving red crustaceans, Artemia, in their waters. As they die and decompose, they give the salt its unique odors. These crustaceans are a favorite delicacy of flamingos.
Lakes with water from pink to bright red are also known in the sands of the Karakum desert in the Uzboy riverbed, as well as in Western Siberia. The widely known Raspberry Lake is located on the territory of the Kulunda steppe, in the south of Western Siberia. But it’s not just its color that makes it stand out among the thousands of local lakes. The fact is that in the water of this lake everything is born and grows all the time... stone. As it turned out, the water in Raspberry Lake is saturated with magnesium salts, and the underground springs that feed it contain soda. When mixed, these solutions form a mass that immediately turns to stone.
In some cases, purple bacteria are the culprits behind the pink color of water in lakes.
It's a pity that you don't have comments enabled

Answer from Shatoon[active]
Baikal is transparent :)
In winter you can stand on the ice and watch the fish swim

Answer from Condorita[guru]
Even here in Belarus there are so many colorful lakes.
There are 36 lakes with the name Beloe, for example. Of course, the water is not white, but very clean and transparent (at least it should be like that, but alas... not always anymore)
There are about 15 lakes called Chernoe - these are mostly swamp lakes with a high content of humic substances.
There are 3 lakes named Krasnoye. But the name has nothing to do with the color of the water - it means “Beautiful” from ancient Slavic. In Belarus there is another analogue of this name - Lake Chervonoye (or Prince Lake) in the Zhitkovichi district of the Gomel region
There are 2 lakes called Blue. The water in them (in one of them - I was there) is dark blue. A lot of hydrogen sulfide (naturally a lot).
There is Lake Goluboye or Golubino.
Of course, I won’t rewrite the directory “Lakes of Belarus” (I compiled it, by the way)...
Here's more from the "web" (for a snack)
The national poet of Azerbaijan, Samad Vurgun, called the “Queen of Lakes” for its amazing picturesqueness Lake Gek-Gel (that is, “Blue Lake”), which is located at an altitude of 1576 m in the Asgun Gorge. Small in area (0.8 sq. km.), but sufficient deep (93 m), it is widely known for its bright blue color. This is how its waters are colored by salts of various minerals and a large amount of hydrogen sulfide, which is supplied by numerous streams.

Near Astrakhan there are “raspberry” lakes. They differ not only in color, but also in their unusual raspberry-like aroma. That is why once upon a time the salt, which was extracted from these lakes in the amount of 100 poods annually, was considered the best and was supplied exclusively to the table of Empress Catherine II. Painted in a pale pink or orange color, which, however, soon disappeared in the sun, it retained a persistent aroma of raspberries or violets. Such properties of the salt of these lakes are explained by the presence of small salt-loving red brine shrimp in their waters. As they die and decompose, they give the salt its unique odors. These crustaceans are a favorite delicacy of flamingos.
And the most colorful lake is in Australia. Its water changes color several times a year - the water is yellow, then blue, then red. And even orange, which depends on the iron content in the water. This is Topo Valley.
There are “colored” names and lakes not only here, but also in the USA and Canada
In Canada and the USA, these names sound like Black Lake (Black Lake), Brown Lake (Brown Lake), etc. Ontario, from the group of the Great North American Lakes, in the language of the Iroquois Indians - “beautiful, wonderful”.

Answer from Alyonk@[guru]
Some geographical names, although of foreign origin, also mean color when translated. For example, Cape Verde in Africa means "Cape Green", the island of Greenland - "Green Country", the Black Forest mountains, from which the Danube River originates, - "Black Forest", the Karatau Mountains in Central Asia - "Black Mountains", Mount Mont Blanc in the Alps - “White Mountain”, the Yellow River in China and Sarysu in Central Asia are “yellow”, and the Song Coy in Vietnam, the Red River and Colorado in the USA are “red” rivers, etc.
But there are especially many so-called “colored” lakes on the geographical map. These lakes really have the most diverse, unusual shades of water: red, crimson, blue-green, blue, yellow, white and even black.
The national poet of Azerbaijan Samad Vurgun called the Gek-Gel lake (that is, “Blue Lake”), which is located at an altitude of 1576 m in the Asgun Gorge, “the Queen of Lakes” for its amazing picturesqueness. Small in area (0.8 sq. km.), but quite deep (93 m), it is widely known for its bright blue color. This is how its waters are colored by salts of various minerals and large amounts of hydrogen sulfide, which are supplied by numerous streams.
There are many white lakes around the globe. In Russia alone, up to 20 lakes have the name “White”. Many of them are located among the forests and numerous rivers and lakes of the Vologda region and are now part of the Volga-Baltic waterway. It would seem that the lake is like a lake, but when on its rather large water surface, with an area of ​​1125 sq. km, the wind raises the waves, it seems to be covered with white lambs. Indeed, at this time, eroding the clayey shores of the lake, the water acquires a whitish color.
Near Astrakhan there are “raspberry” lakes. They differ not only in color, but also in their unusual raspberry-like aroma. That is why once upon a time the salt, which was extracted from these lakes in the amount of 100 poods annually, was considered the best and was supplied exclusively to the table of Empress Catherine II. Painted in a pale pink or orange color, which, however, soon disappeared in the sun, it retained a persistent aroma of raspberries or violets. Such properties of the salt of these lakes are explained by the presence of small salt-loving red brine shrimp in their waters. As they die and decompose, they give the salt its unique odors. These crustaceans are a favorite delicacy of flamingos.

One of the most beautiful lakes in Azerbaijan is Goygol. During the catastrophic earthquake, the epicenter of which was in the Lesser Caucasus Mountains, huge debris from Kapaz (a three-hundred-thousand-meter peak fifty kilometers from Ganja) blocked the gorge where the Askhu River flowed. This is how Lake Goygel, a blue lake, was formed.

His birth was subsequently sung by Nizami in his works. He visited Gey-Gel and could not help but be inspired by the poetic beauty of these places. Mountains covered with mighty forests, like palms, engulfed the crystal blue bowl of Gay-gel. If you climb along the picturesque piles of rocks, going around the corner of a blue lake that stretches several kilometers deep, you can get to a rise with a pure beech forest and thickets of viburnum, euonymus and rose hips.

Goygol (Azerbaijani: Göygöl) - one of the mountain lakes of Transcaucasia - is located at the foot of Mount Kapaz, in the gorge of the Agsu River. The lake was formed as a result of a devastating earthquake that occurred on September 17, 1138, as a result of which the top of Mount Kapaz collapsed into the gorge of the Agsu River. The resulting dam is Lake Goygol.

The lake is located in the Goygol Nature Reserve, created in 1965 with the aim of preserving the integrity of nature and wildlife. Visiting these places is included in numerous tourist routes in the South Caucasus. Goygol and its surroundings are also a recreation area for the residents of Azerbaijan; their air is healing for people suffering from diseases of the respiratory tract and nervous system.

The fish fauna of Lake Goygol consists only of trout, which feeds mainly on amphipods and dragonfly larvae. The lake's importance is limited to sport fishing.

Goygol resort attracts tourists with excellent climatic conditions - fresh and clean air, crystal, cool water of Lake Goygol, unique healing properties of mountain air and climate..

Goygol Nature Reserve

The Goygol Nature Reserve is located in the southwest of the country. Founded in 1925, area 7.1 thousand hectares. Protects the natural complexes of mountain broad-leaved forests and subalpine meadows on the slopes of the Lesser Caucasus, the unique grove of relict Ellar pine and yew trees, as well as the high-mountain Lake Goygol.

The flora of the Goygol Nature Reserve includes more than 400 plant species. The fauna includes more than 30 species of mammals (bezoar goat, Caucasian tur, Caucasian red deer, roe deer, brown bear, wolf, pine marten, badger, weasel, brown hare, squirrel, dormouse and others), as well as about 50 species birds, among which, in addition to forest birds, there are inhabitants of the alpine and subalpine zones - alpine accentor, mountain bunting, Caspian snowcock, mountain pipit, rock partridge, red-capped finch, mountain redpoll.

The reserve is also home to 8 species of amphibians and reptiles, and in Lake Goygol there is a special subspecies of lake trout - Goygol trout.

One of the largest, deepest and most beautiful lakes in Azerbaijan, called Goygol, is located near the northern part of the high-mountain ridge Murovdag at the very foot of the majestic Mount Kapaz. This peak is part of the Lesser Caucasus mountain system and is its highest point.

Short description

Lake Goygol is located in the west of the country. Its total area does not exceed 0.8 square meters. km, reaches a length of 2.8 km, and a width of only 800 m. Above sea level, it rises more than 1.5 thousand m. The lake is of the drainage type and flows into the large Shamkirchay river. This reservoir belongs to the National Park of Azerbaijan, which bears the same name - Goygol.

Education and nutrition

It is worth noting that many unique reservoirs are located on the territory of a state such as Azerbaijan. Lake Goygol is a crater, formed during a large-scale earthquake that occurred back in 1139 as a result of the fall of mountain peaks. That is why the minimum depth in this reservoir is at least 25 m. The largest depression reaches 96 m. This depth determines that the temperature of the lake water, even at the height of the summer months, never rose above +19 o C.

Lake Goygol in Azerbaijan, a photo of which can be seen in the article, is fed by annual snowmelt and precipitation, as well as by inflowing small rivers, mountain and underground springs. The water here is surprisingly always quite clean and transparent, which allows you to see the bottom of the reservoir even in the deepest depressions. And perfectly mineralized water serves as an excellent aid for irrigation and drinking.

What awaits tourists?

Lake Goygol has a very interesting history, and the preserved local attractions of those times serve as a venue for excursions for visitors. From the very beginning of the 19th century, these lands went to the colonists and Germany, who on August 22, 1819 completed the construction of the current city-museum of Helenendorf (now called Hanlar). Surrounded by mountain ranges and incredible natural views, every vacationer who comes to this amazing lake resort can visit several attractions of historical significance. Tourists will be able not only to enjoy the picturesque views of the surrounding area, but also to fully experience the beauty of the cleanest air.

There are many places for tourists to visit during their holidays. For example, the beautiful and great Lutheran Church, the construction of which dates back to 1854. Several bridges of different sizes offer excellent views of unique natural landscapes and, of course, Lake Goygol itself. The ancient Temple of Gabriel, built in the mid-19th century in the small village of Shahriyar. High towers and even a mausoleum. Not to mention the sights presented by nature. In total, there are several excursion routes in this area, along which everyone can go with a guide to get acquainted with the culture, landscape, history and local flora and fauna.

Meaning and Use

For the local population, Lake Goygol, with architectural buildings from different eras spread throughout the entire area, has not only historical value, but also industrial and economic value. Irrigation is carried out precisely thanks to this source of water, starting from mid-spring and ending in late autumn.

Electricity supply to local villages is also provided by lake water. A developed tourism infrastructure, several spacious hotels for tourists and an interesting entertainment program bring considerable income to this region.

Resort area

In the most picturesque corner of Azerbaijan, there is excellent air filled with minerals, which is ideal for the treatment of respiratory tract and asthma in people. And the magnificent views delight the eye of any tourist who comes to this resort area on Lake Goygol. Hotels located in close proximity to the reservoir are always ready to accommodate guests. They offer different rooms costing from 1.5 thousand rubles per night. These are Ramada Plaza Gence, Afra Hotel, etc.

This area is truly worthy of a visit, as even famous Azerbaijani artists painted pictures from it, the lake and its surroundings are so beautiful. And world-famous poets wrote and dedicated poems to him.

Flora and fauna

The shores of the lake are covered with thick grass, alternating with small forests. In total, in the area of ​​Lake Goygol you can see 76 varieties of trees and 347 types of herbs, including medicinal ones. Dense forest thickets hide many representatives of wild fauna: ferocious bears and wild boars, graceful roe deer and fast nimble deer and jackals, funny porcupines, badgers and even lynxes. Due to low temperatures, few people live in the lake itself, in particular trout. You can safely go fishing with a fishing rod both from the shore and on a boat, and getting a trophy won’t take long.

At some point in time, it was strictly forbidden for tourists to visit the protected area in order to protect representatives of the local flora and fauna from the harmful influences of humans. But at the moment, the territory of Lake Goygol is one of the main health resorts and resorts located in the west of the country, where lovers of a quiet holiday come from all over Europe.