Garm Chasma
Garm Chashma hot spring
Garm Chashma hot spring (the name translates from Tajik/Persion as ‘hot spring’) can be found 42 km South from Khorog at the height of 2325 metres above sea level on the western slope of the Shakhdara Range, in the middle course of the Garm-Chashma River, Ishkashim District of Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Province (GBAO), Pamir, Tajikistan and not far from the border of Afganistan to the west. Garm Chashma is a hot spring that has been known already for thousands of years and is most likely the best and most well known hot spring in Tajikistan. There are also small caves with dry white limestone inside, which is used as medicine. The caves were discovered as a result of excavation and removal of dry limestone at the foot of the spring hill. Garm Chashma is included in most of our Tajikistan Pamir Tours.
Garm Chashma water properties
The spring is a least several thousand years old and has created a huge travertine mound with cascades by bringing up the minerals from underground together with the hot water. Cascades are bright white, yellow and brown and and form large peculiar looking forms. The water comes out from a depth of the earth in form of micro geysers from 10 cm to 1,5 meters high and the total flow rate of the spring is about 7-10 litres a second.
Garm Chashma is very popular with locals as well as pilgrims from other areas. The Garm Chashma waters provide a curative affect for those with skin and other health problems. A small Soviet sanatorium is attached to hot springs together with many cafes serving food and it is possible to also stay overnight in the local hotel. The area also features carbonaceous mineral springs with a permanent temperature of +14 C, that the locals use for cooking and drinking. The valley where Garm Chashma is located has also a favorable climate that, according to Soviets and locals, together with the water treatments has given good results with giving help for cardiovascular and nervous system, locomotor apparatus as well as skin and gynecologic diseases. It is recommended to stay in the water for only 10-15 minutes.
Water contains chalky-calcium balls of 0,5-4 cm in diameter along with chalky-plaster sediment. This sediment creates chalky runs – a travertine mound with a few natural and built pools. The water contains high proportion of hydrogen sulfide, silicone acid and carbon acid along with iron, aluminum, magnesium, strontium fluorine and other elements. The water’s temperature is + 62 C at output and from +38 to +50 C in the pools (fairly hot).
The hot spring has attracted attention of local population for thousands of years already as people have been cured in its waters, received healing or at least pain relief. Due to this, Garm-Chashma has gotten a reputation as a holy water spring. In the end of the 19th century the local inhabitants built altars nearby the springs that are small niches in the rock near the place where water comes onto the surface and are still sometimes placing various objects and oil lamps there.
Close to Andarob, a little off the main road, is the Kuh-i Lal (Ruby Mountain) described by Marco Polo. There is still a mine here that produces small quantities of spinels (also known as balas ruby) and you might occasionally be offered uncut stones to buy if you happen to be at place at the right time.
Garm Chashma pools
The biggest and most beautiful pool outside, with the surface area of about 20 sq metres is 0,5 meter deep. The outside pool is used in turns by men and women as one should be naked when in the pools meaning that one might need to wait for an hour or two for the possibility to bathe in the Garm Chashma outside pool. The schedule for men and women appears to be erratic.
There are also less dramatic inside pools with men’s and women’s separate sides that are less popular but more private and also often faster available. The prices vary from 2 somoni to 25 depending when you go and if you want to use the VIP pool.
Travel to Garm chasma
You can reach the Garm Chashma hot springs by driving South from Khorog, along the border of Afganistan towards Iskashim until you reach the sign pointing towards Garm Chashma towards southeast to a mountain valley off the main road leading to Wakhan Valley. The turn is even easier to notice when traveling from Wakhan Valley direction.
Other sights near Garm Chashma
Page updated 11.10.2024
