Band-e Amir glittering lakes of Band-e Amir rank as Afghanistan’s most astounding natural sight, hidden in the Koh-e Baba at an altitude of 2900m. A series of six linked lakes, their deep blue waters sparkle like otherworldly jewels against the dusty mountains that surround them.Approaching Band-e Amir, the first hint you have of their striking qualities is a bright flash of lapis lazuli as the largest lake, Band-e Zulfiqar appears briefly to your right. Soon after, the road starts to descend from a plateau immediately above the flat mirror of Band-e Haibat. Its deep blue waters and white dams fringed with vegetation are a rude shock when set against the cream and pink mountains – a sight to draw breath from even the most jaded travellers.
The lakes’ high mineral content gives them their colour, and in the case of the most accessible lake, Band-e Haibat (the suitably named Dam of Awe), these minerals have been deposited along its shore to produce a huge curtain wall over 12m high, streaked with sulphur and containing its waters high above ‘ground’ level. It’s a weird and stupendous sight, and it’s not surprising that locals should far prefer a mythic, rather than geological, explanation for the lakes’ formation.
The lakes are reputed to contain great healing powers and pilgrims still visit to take the waters. Arriving at the floor of the valley, vehicles stop a five-minute walk away from the dam walls, near a cluster of chaikhanas and kiosks.
a very sacred place for us!
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