"Urungach" means "bright jade" in Uyghur — and the water here is exactly that colour. Turquoise, transparent all the way to the bottom, it passes through a natural underground sand-and-gravel filter, and at a depth of ten metres every stone is clearly visible. The lakes sit at an altitude of 1,227 metres, 160 kilometres from Tashkent, within the Ugam-Chatkal National Park.
There are two lakes. The lower one is smaller, with a vivid turquoise tint, and gradually shallows and dries up by autumn. The upper lake is larger and holds water year-round. Scientists believe both were formed by a rockfall that created a natural dam. A gentle climb leads to the lower lake; the upper requires a steeper ascent of around an hour and a half on foot. The best time to visit is from mid-May to mid-June, when both lakes are at their fullest and the colour of the water is at its most intense.
The Ugam-Chatkal National Park, where the lakes are located, was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2016 — one of the most biologically rich corners of the Western Tian Shan.
