Description of the attraction
The extraordinary lake Tambukan is located on the border of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic and the Stavropol Territory, 10 km southeast of the city of Pyatigorsk. This non-flowing, salty and oval-shaped lake is more than 2 km long and 1 km wide. The Tambukan, together with the adjacent territory, is located in a protected area. The main sources of food for the lake are melt, groundwater and atmospheric precipitation.
The age of Lake Tambukan is estimated at several millennia. However, the question of its origin has not yet been resolved. Scientists at different times have put forward different versions. The first of them says that the Tambukan is the remnant of an ancient sea. According to the second version, this lake is generated by underground waters, which are oversaturated with deposits of the Maikop clays located in the area of the lake. The third version: Tambukan is the old bed of the small river Etoko, which still flows next to the lake.
Lake Tambukan was named after the ancient Kabardian ancestor - Prince Tambiev, who was buried in the area of the lake. The name of the lake translates as - "shelter for Tambia".
The eerie and at the same time mysterious lake Tambukan amazes with its uniqueness at first sight. Even in the most calm and clear weather, the surface of the water seems very dark. At the bottom of this extraordinary lake, through the water column, you can see a carpet of legendary mud. The healing mud of Tambukan has mineral and organic components, and having healing properties, it increases immunity and strengthens health.
Tons of mud, lying at the bottom of the lake, have been used for medicinal purposes since 1886. Nowadays, mud is widely used by all sanatoriums and health resorts in the cities of KavMinVod - Pyatigorsk, Yessentuki, Zheleznovodsk and Kislovodsk - for various procedures and treatment of various diseases.
