Lake Göygöl, Natural mountain lake in Goygol National Park, Azerbaijan

Lake Göygöl is a mountain lake in the national park of the same name, whose water reflects different shades of green and blue depending on sunlight and weather. The clear water allows visibility deep into its depths.

A devastating earthquake in 1139 caused the Mount Kapaz to collapse, blocking the Akhsu River and creating this lake through natural damming. The lake was formed at an elevation of about 1,566 meters as a direct result of this seismic event.

The name Göygöl means "blue lake" in Azerbaijani, and the lake gave its name to the surrounding district and to the town of Göygöl, formerly Khanlar, renamed in its honour on 25 April 2008. The painter Sattar Bahlulzade made two works of the lake, in 1964 and 1979, and Ahmed Javad and Suleiman Rustam each wrote a poem about it.

The lake sits in mountainous terrain and requires physical effort to reach, but is open to visitors. You should prepare for changing weather conditions and bring appropriate hiking gear.

The lake lies in the Göygöl reserve, created in 1965 to protect its flora and fauna; the national park replaced it in 2008. Azerbaijani painter Sattar Bahlulzade made two works of the lake, a watercolour in 1964 and an oil painting in 1979. The poet Ahmed Javad also wrote a poem named after Göygöl.