Sangardak Waterfall

Where it is

Sangardak lies in the north-east of Surkhandarya Region, in Sariosiyo District at the foot of the Hisor Range, a landscape drained by the Surkhandarya, Topalangdaryo and other mountain rivers. The village of Sangardak is a few hundred metres away, and the falls sit within the forestry estate of the same name in a zone of subtropical inland-continental climate.

The name means “place surrounded by stones” in Persian and Tajik, and locals also call the falls Sharsharamozor.

Nature

What makes Sangardak unusual is its source: water flowing out of karst caves inside the rock rather than a mountain stream. Its main reservoir is a small lake among the boulders, filled by the Sangardakbuloq, Shirinbuloq, Qorabuloq and other springs. The water spurts from the cliff face, tumbles over the rocks and stays clear all year.

Flow peaks in summer and drops by autumn. In hard frosts the falls freeze partly, and in some years completely, as in the exceptionally cold winter of 2023. A metal railing protects visitors.

Getting there

Sangardak is reached by mountain roads through Sariosiyo District from the Denov side. Legend says the falls appeared in the 16th–17th centuries but long remained little known; today they are among the region’s most visited natural sights, busiest from May to September, when the cool mountain air is a relief after the heat of the Surkhan oasis.