Aghi Lich (Salt Lake)

VISITOR INFORMATION

🧭 Coordinates: Located in Erebuni district, Yerevan, behind the former “Gypsum Factory”
🛣️ Access: The lake is accessible via local roads within the Erebuni district. While signage is minimal, the location is known to locals. It is recommended to use a GPS or ask for directions from nearby residents.
☀️ Best Time to Visit: Late spring to early autumn (May to September) is the ideal season for visiting Aghi Lich. During this period, the weather is warm, making it comfortable for floating, mud therapy, and sunbathing.
🏕️ Facilities: There are no established tourist facilities (restrooms, changing areas, or shops) on site, so visitors should come prepared. Bring your own towel, water, sunscreen, and possibly water shoes for walking on the mineral-rich lakebed.

OVERVIEW

Tucked away in the Erebuni district of Yerevan, Aghi Lich or Salt Lake is one of the city's least known yet most remarkable natural sites. With its mineral-rich waters, healing mud, and Dead Sea-like floating experience, the lake offers both locals and travelers a rare opportunity to relax, recharge, and benefit from its natural therapeutic properties.

ECOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE

Aghi Lich is a rare example of a hydro-geological natural monument located within an urban setting. Its high salinity and mineral composition have formed over time due to the area’s unique underground water sources and clay-rich soil layers. In 2021, the site was officially recognized and added to Armenia’s list of protected natural monuments, emphasizing its importance not just as a healing site but also as an ecological resource. The lake contains high levels of sulfide, calcium, and magnesium salts, along with trace hydrogen sulfide. These minerals are believed to have significant therapeutic effects and are being studied for their dermatological and anti-inflammatory properties. The black mud found at the lake’s bottom has also drawn attention for its rich mineral content and detoxifying qualities.

LAYOUT

The lake is named for its high salinity, which imbues its waters with a range of healing properties. The area contains two basins of different salinity levels:

• The Large Basin, with a salinity level of around 13%.
• The Smaller Basin, locally referred to with humor as “Parvneri Gyol” (literally, “Grannies’ Pool”), reaching up to 25% salinity.

The nickname “Parvneri Gyol” originates from the past, when elderly women-often unable to swim-would gather here to soak their legs in the mineral-rich water to ease joint pain. The lake’s high density allows bathers to float effortlessly, offering a unique and safe swimming experience. By comparison, the salinity of the Dead Sea is approximately 34%. Near the lake, there is a striking 3-meter-high freshwater stream, known informally as the “Salt Waterfall.” In the summer, visitors use it to cool off, wash off the salt, or enjoy its refreshing and revitalizing flow.

THERAPEUTIC USES

The lake’s high concentration of salts and minerals offers a variety of health benefits, including:

• Relief from joint pain
• Nervous system relaxation
• Treatment of skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis
• General anti-inflammatory effects

Visitors often take mineral baths, sunbathe by the shore, or apply natural healing mud sourced from the lakebed-known for its thick, black composition and rich content of mineral elements.

LOCAL LEGENDS AND CULTURAL CONTEXT

The story of “Parvneri Gyol” adds a cultural charm to the site. It is remembered fondly by locals not only as a place of healing but as a social space-where stories were shared and traditional remedies passed down through generations. This heritage, combined with the lake’s natural properties, makes Aghi Lich not just a health destination but a living piece of community history.

IMPORTANT TIPS:

• Do not enter the water with fresh cuts.
• Avoid getting water in your eyes or mouth.
• Limit bathing to 15-20 minutes to prevent dehydration.
• Rinse off with clean water afterward-ideally under the nearby freshwater stream.
• Take care not to damage the lakebed or leave trash behind.