Earth & climate

Establishment of Band-e Amir National Park

2009

Band-e Amir National Park, in the mountains of Bamyan Province in central Afghanistan, was the country's first national park. It protects a series of six deep blue lakes separated by natural dams of travertine, a mineral deposit formed by the lakes' carbonate-rich water. The lakes lie at a high altitude, in a landscape of dry cliffs and desert, and they have become one of Afghanistan's most beautiful natural attractions and a rare tourist destination. Local legends link the lakes to Ali, the cousin and son-in-law of the Prophet Muhammad, and pilgrims visit a shrine nearby. The park lies close to the site of the destroyed Buddhas of Bamyan, and its protection has been supported by international conservation organisations.

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