The sumptuous, vibrant colours of Lake Karakul are magnified by the soft brown tones of the desert mountains and the purity of the snow-capped Pamir Mountains peaks.

According to one hypothesis put forward by French linguist Eugene Burnouf, Pamir is derived from the Sanskrit Oupa-Mira, meaning ‘the land around the lake’.

Credits: Jan Ritter (@janritter10, Austria)

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