Lake of Ghosts

The Lake of Ghosts (Mamraz Lake) is a small lake situated in the richly-forested Iranian province of Mazandaran, and located 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) from the city of Nowshahr. The settlement nearest the lake is the village of Vanush.[1] The local name for this lake is Mamraz (meaning hornbeam in Persian), but it is better known by the names "Ghost Lake" or "Lake of Ghosts" - given it in reference to its eerie swampland landscape featuring countless half-drowned trees, often shrouded in mist, giving them the appearance of phantoms.[2]

Mamraz Koti: Hornbeam Lake or Lake of Ghosts
The Ghost lake in Vanush
Mamraz Koti: Hornbeam Lake or Lake of Ghosts
Locationmazandaran, Vanush
Coordinates36°30′18.7″N 51°50′12.4″E
Basin countriesIran
Max. length700 m (2,300 ft)
Max. width300 m (980 ft)
Surface area40 acres (16 ha)
Average depth10 m (33 ft)
Max. depth10 m (33 ft)

Natural history

'The Lake of Ghosts' or 'Hornbeam Lake' has long been regarded as a site of natural beauty by virtue not only of its geographical location, but also of a flora rich in plant species, both woody and herbaceous.[3] This lake has been registered in the Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization of Iran by the registered number of 402 in order to preserve its animal and plant species.[4] The formation of the lake took place over a geological timespan extending from the middle Cretaceous to the Quaternary period.[5]

The length of the lake is 300 m (980 ft) and its width is 70 m (230 ft) and in total it covers an area of 40 hectares (99 acres) with the surface and its surroundings covered with alder and hornbeam trees.[6]

The hornbeam is a tree species native to Iran which can reach heights of between 15 and 25 m (49 and 82 ft), with a trunk bearing smooth, gray-green bark. The dead or moribund specimens protruding from the lake have suffered considerable decay from having been partially submerged in its waters for many years. Unlike the hornbeams, the alders are well-adapted to the wetland habitat of the lake and are thus in better health.[7]

For all its strange beauty, the Lake of Ghosts has not yet been promoted seriously as a tourist attraction and, as yet, lacks any facilities which could make it such. It can be accessed only on rough roads requiring the use of four-wheel drive vehicles - and even then only safely at certain times of year.[8]

Films and documentaries on the lake have been made or are being produced. One of these is named The Lake of Ghosts by Reza Jafari Jozani with Dr. Hesam Bani-Eghbal.[9][10]Works of fiction inspired by the lake may include a novel of the same name written by Darren Shan, under the name of 'The Lake of Souls'.[11]

  • The Ghost Lake or Mamraz Lake in Mazandaran - North of Iran
  • The Ghost Lake or Mamraz Lake in Mazandaran - North of Iran

See also

References
  1. Digest, Persia (2017-08-24). "The ghost lake in northern Iran". en. Retrieved 2019-09-17.
  2. "Arvah Lake in Noshahr - Ghost Lake". IRAN Travel Experience. 2018-08-28. Retrieved 2019-09-17.
  3. "Mamarz Lake: A Ghosts Lake North of Iran - Tourism news". Tasnim News Agency. Retrieved 2019-09-17.
  4. "Google Translate". translate.google.com. Retrieved 2019-09-17.
  5. "Google Translate". translate.google.com. Retrieved 2019-09-17.
  6. "Nowshahr Ghost Lake, Lake in Nowshahr". PinIran. Retrieved 2019-09-17.
  7. "in Nowshahr city, there is a frightening lake known as Ghosts lake". DornaTrip. 2018-10-19. Retrieved 2019-09-17.
  8. "Mamarz Lake: A Ghosts Lake North of Iran - Tourism news". Tasnim News Agency. Retrieved 2019-09-17.
  9. "'The Lake of Ghosts' Finishes Filming in Iran's North - Society/Culture news". Tasnim News Agency. Retrieved 2019-09-17.
  10. "'Ghost Lake' reaches last stop". ifilm-آیفیلم. Retrieved 2019-09-17.
  11. "The Lake of Souls (Cirque du Freak #10)". www.goodreads.com. Retrieved 2019-09-17.
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