Lakes of Zangezur Range

Zangezur Mountain Range starts from South Tsarasar and stretches to the gorge of the Araks River. The length is about 160 km. It is the watershed between Vorotan and Arpa rivers. Lakes Gazanalich, Kaputan, Tsakqar, Kaptach and Khurjin are located in the upper part of Zangezur range. The tributaries of Araks River – Voghji and Meghri, as well as many other rivers originate from the southwestern slopes. The highest point is Mount Kaputjugh (3905 m). It is the second highest mountain in Armenia after Aragats.

The highest mountains of Zangezur range are: Nahapet (3376 m), Yernjak (3368 m), Shahaponk (3204 m), Aghotaran (3162 m), Goghtan (3146 m), Ayrisar (3126 m), Sisakatar (3093 m). At the sources of Meghri, Voghji, Kajarants, Geghi and other rivers, there are traces of Pleistocene icing in the form of limestone pavements and glacial valleys, some of which have been filled with water. This is how the lakes arose. Mountain-steppe, mountain-forest (oak, hornbeam), alpine and snowy landscapes were formed. Among the animals there are bezoar goat, wild sheep, wild boar, bear, and a big diversity of birds.

In the eastern part of Zangezur range and southern part of Bargushat range, the Zangezur Reserve was established in 2009. Kajarants and Voghji gorges are perfect for the development of ecotourism. However, tourism does not develop here due to the fact that this is a border zone. Mining industry is also a negative factor for the development of tourism.

We present you the mountain lakes of Zangezur range.

Gazanalich

This lake is located north of the Kaputjugh mountain peak, 11 km northwest of the Kajarants village. Height above sea level is 3112 m, area is 1.8 ha, and depth is up to 10 m. The name of Gazanalich Lake has not changed. The old and new names are the same.

However, there are some problems with the names of four lakes located south of Kaputjugh. The same lake has different names. Somewhere there is an old name, somewhere there is a new name, somewhere there is a name used by locals, and sometimes the name of one lake is used as a name of another lake. In this article we will try to figure it all out and give the correct answers.

The following 4 lakes are located in the border area. Therefore they are not accessible to tourists and are not included in the routes. They are mainly visited by either residents of nearby villages or a small group of hikers. They take pictures of lakes and share photos with incorrect names on the internet, which causes even more confusion.

According to the cadastral data, the names of the lakes are:

• Lake Kaputan (Lake Gogi)
• Lake Tsakqar (Tsaghkarsu, Tsaghkari, Sagkar)
• Lake Kaptach (Kapuyt or Srtner)
• Khurjin (Khrjun)

The names in parentheses are very common, but they are incorrect. We encourage you to use the correct names.

Lake Kaputan (Gogi)

This lake is located close to the upper  of the Zangezur range, 8.3 km southwest of Kajarants village. The height is 3202 m above sea level, area is 10 ha, volume – 1.5 million cubic meters, maximum depth – 22 m.

Lake Tsakkar

Lake Tsakkar is located about 2 km east of Lake Kaputan, in a higher position (3272 m). The area is 3 ha. The lake is also called Sagkar and Tsaghkari.

Lake Kaptach

There are 2 lakes located 8 km west of Lichk village. The name of the bigger one is Kaptach, or as the locals call it, Srtner (“Hearts”), because of its shape. The height is 3283 m above sea level, area is 2.5 ha, and average depth is 6 m.

Lake Khurjin

600 meters south of Kaptach, a little higher is Lake Khurjin. Height – 3577 m, area – 1.2 ha.

Lake Kaputan (Gogi) / Video by Mkhitar Hovhannisyan

Special thanks to cartographer Anushavan Barseghyan for providing maps and information.

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