The high arch of the cave painted with wandering mineral formations of many years, and blue surface of transparent lake ... Workers of Koytendag State Natural Reserve saw in this kind the underground maze discovered at the foot of the mountain. It is very similar to the underground lake Kov-Ata, consider those who were able to go down to the failure under the mountain range and enjoy the marvelous views.
- For many years, no one did not even know of its existence, - says head of research department of the Reserve Sh. Mengliev reserve. - Passed by without even knowing about the existence of the entrance to the dungeon. A high level of groundwater that closed a bulk of the year the base of the cliff, where is situated the entrance to the cave, prevented to detect underground lake.
Mountaineers, speleologists, tourists, mountain travel lovers know that on the slopes of Koytendag ridge, there are many similar karst labyrinths. Speleologists have examined long ago about a dozen of major natural caves near the village Karlyuk. Caves Cap-Kutan, Hoshim-Oyyk, Gulshirin, Dash-Yurek, Vertical or Curiosities and other karst formations are known far beyond the borders of Turkmenistan.
Indeed, there is much to admire. Huge rooms, decorated with stalactites and stalagmites, fantastic stone flowers, Druze of gypsum crystals, sag in the form of curtains, bunches of grapes, - fancifully curved crystals in the form of palm leaves! And how many of the diversified marble onyx - a light, honey, dark with rare decorative motif and silky - pearlescent. In these caves, there are small lakes with original sinter formations of cave “pearl” and the thinnest threads of crystalline gypsum.
There are a lot of failures, water-filled caverns on the territory of the State Natural Reserve Koytendag. During the sinking of vertical shafts salt mines of the future mining and processing plant, located near Garlyk village, the builders have found a real underground river. Not far from these places, well-known failure Suvli oyyuk, where inhabits unique fish - Koytendag blind loach, which is inscribed into the 3rd edition of the Red Data Book of Turkmenistan, exists for many years there. This failure is connected under water with an underground lake, but to get there can only divers. But to visit a hitherto unknown cave with an underground lake that is available for inspection and study, and also located on the territory of the State Natural Reserve, close to the mountain villages - is possible not every day.
Group of mountaineers of “Agama” club, who participated in the ascent of the peak of Koytendag - Aýrybaba, could descend into an underground labyrinth. They get to the shore of the lake through the rubble of granite boulders. However, hidden in the darkness of the dungeon natural pond, unprecedented hitherto, attracted and beckoned. In the light of lanterns, the fixed surface of the lake looked like a crystal bowl locked in a stone case. Familiarity with a beautiful creation of nature was remembered for a lifetime.
The experts of the Royal Birds Protection Society from Great Britain, who visited the nature reserve in the last year in order to collect scientific materials for inscription of Koytendag State Nature Reserve into the UNESCO’ World Heritage List showed great interest in underground lake. Invited by them the cavers from Moscow, together with the head of the scientific department of the Reserve Shaniyaz Mengliyev, we explored the underground body of water: tested the water, measured the water surface. During the measurement, its length was 87 meters, width - 62, depth - 10 meters, and the total area of the lake - 4400 m2. The water temperature, even in summer does not rise in the cave above 13.5о С.
- This is, probably, the largest in Turkmenistan natural reservoir located in a cave, and existing due to the inflow of rainwater and melt water - explains Shaniyaz Mengliyev. - Now, our specialists continue to study the state of lake, carry out monthly measurements of changes in the water level in the underground pool, rapid tests for alkalinity, hardness of water, oxygen content, nitrates and phosphates, record the temperature of water and air. We hope that this unique natural reservoir will be another sight of rich for natural monuments of Koytendag.
- For many years, no one did not even know of its existence, - says head of research department of the Reserve Sh. Mengliev reserve. - Passed by without even knowing about the existence of the entrance to the dungeon. A high level of groundwater that closed a bulk of the year the base of the cliff, where is situated the entrance to the cave, prevented to detect underground lake.
Mountaineers, speleologists, tourists, mountain travel lovers know that on the slopes of Koytendag ridge, there are many similar karst labyrinths. Speleologists have examined long ago about a dozen of major natural caves near the village Karlyuk. Caves Cap-Kutan, Hoshim-Oyyk, Gulshirin, Dash-Yurek, Vertical or Curiosities and other karst formations are known far beyond the borders of Turkmenistan.
Indeed, there is much to admire. Huge rooms, decorated with stalactites and stalagmites, fantastic stone flowers, Druze of gypsum crystals, sag in the form of curtains, bunches of grapes, - fancifully curved crystals in the form of palm leaves! And how many of the diversified marble onyx - a light, honey, dark with rare decorative motif and silky - pearlescent. In these caves, there are small lakes with original sinter formations of cave “pearl” and the thinnest threads of crystalline gypsum.
There are a lot of failures, water-filled caverns on the territory of the State Natural Reserve Koytendag. During the sinking of vertical shafts salt mines of the future mining and processing plant, located near Garlyk village, the builders have found a real underground river. Not far from these places, well-known failure Suvli oyyuk, where inhabits unique fish - Koytendag blind loach, which is inscribed into the 3rd edition of the Red Data Book of Turkmenistan, exists for many years there. This failure is connected under water with an underground lake, but to get there can only divers. But to visit a hitherto unknown cave with an underground lake that is available for inspection and study, and also located on the territory of the State Natural Reserve, close to the mountain villages - is possible not every day.
Group of mountaineers of “Agama” club, who participated in the ascent of the peak of Koytendag - Aýrybaba, could descend into an underground labyrinth. They get to the shore of the lake through the rubble of granite boulders. However, hidden in the darkness of the dungeon natural pond, unprecedented hitherto, attracted and beckoned. In the light of lanterns, the fixed surface of the lake looked like a crystal bowl locked in a stone case. Familiarity with a beautiful creation of nature was remembered for a lifetime.
The experts of the Royal Birds Protection Society from Great Britain, who visited the nature reserve in the last year in order to collect scientific materials for inscription of Koytendag State Nature Reserve into the UNESCO’ World Heritage List showed great interest in underground lake. Invited by them the cavers from Moscow, together with the head of the scientific department of the Reserve Shaniyaz Mengliyev, we explored the underground body of water: tested the water, measured the water surface. During the measurement, its length was 87 meters, width - 62, depth - 10 meters, and the total area of the lake - 4400 m2. The water temperature, even in summer does not rise in the cave above 13.5о С.
- This is, probably, the largest in Turkmenistan natural reservoir located in a cave, and existing due to the inflow of rainwater and melt water - explains Shaniyaz Mengliyev. - Now, our specialists continue to study the state of lake, carry out monthly measurements of changes in the water level in the underground pool, rapid tests for alkalinity, hardness of water, oxygen content, nitrates and phosphates, record the temperature of water and air. We hope that this unique natural reservoir will be another sight of rich for natural monuments of Koytendag.
