CULTURE
Lake Batabat - pride of Nakhchivan
Baku, March 18, AZERTAC
Lake Batabat is the pride of Nakhchivan, and it’s not without good reason. Located high in the mountains of Shahbuz at an altitude of 2,500 meters above sea level, this lake was formed by receding glaciers over the course of many thousands of years, forming a tarn.
Picturesque pond in spring and summer is surrounded by greenery and flowers of alpine meadows. One of the most unique things about Lake Batabat is that it has its very own floating island in the middle of it. This tiny island is made entirely from peat and grass, and it isn’t attached to the bottom of the lake in any way.
As a result, it drifts — though slowly — throughout the year, moving as if pulled by the sun. The lake almost looks like one big moat for one tiny island, and the interest the floating island adds is what makes Lake Batabat such a photogenic place. The climate in these places is subtropical, with mild snowy winters and dry summers.
Not far from Lake Batabat there is an astrophysical observatory and another local lake - Ganligol.
The driving distance from Lake Batabat from the city of Nakhchivan is only 65 kilometers.