Iskanderkul
A moraine-dammed lake at 2,200 metres in the Fann Mountains, and the one most visitors reach.
Iskanderkul is the best known of Tajikistan's mountain lakes and the easiest to reach. It sits at around 2,200 metres in the Fann Mountains, ringed by high peaks and fed by several streams. The water is clear and cold, and the lake is used for swimming, fishing and boating.
The lake is moraine-dammed, formed where glacial debris blocked the valley, and covers roughly three and a half square kilometres. The Iskanderdarya river drains it at the northern end, and a short walk downstream reaches a waterfall of about 38 metres that is known locally as the Fann Niagara.
The name#
Iskander is the Persian form of Alexander, and local tradition places Alexander the Great's army here. One version has his horse drowning in the lake; another has him damming the valley to flood a settlement that would not submit. The archaeology does not support either, but the name has stuck for centuries and is part of why the lake is the one visitors have heard of.
Getting there#
Iskanderkul lies roughly 130 kilometres north of Dushanbe, reached by a turning off the highway towards Ayni. The road in is unsealed for the final stretch but passable in an ordinary vehicle in summer. It is close enough to the capital to be done as a long day trip, which sets it apart from the other lakes in this section.
Common questions
Where is Iskanderkul?
In the Fann Mountains at around 2,200 metres, roughly 130 kilometres north of Dushanbe, reached by a turning off the highway towards Ayni.
Why is it called Iskanderkul?
Iskander is the Persian form of Alexander, and local tradition places Alexander the Great's army here. The archaeology does not support the stories, but the name has stuck for centuries.
Can you swim in Iskanderkul?
Yes. The lake is used for swimming, fishing and boating, though the water is cold year-round as it is fed by mountain streams.