Kov-Ata Underground Lake & Cave
Deep within the limestone foothills of the Kopet Dag mountain range near Bäherden lies Kov-Ata ('Father of Caves' in Turkmen), a unique subterranean thermal lake situated 60 meters below the earth's surface inside a massive karst cavern. Reached by descending 350 concrete steps into total darkness filled with the scent of hydrogen sulfide, Kov-Ata features a turquoise underground lake measuring 75 meters long and 30 meters wide, fed by thermal hot springs that maintain a constant water temperature of 33°C to 38°C year-round. Revered since antiquity as a sacred healing sanctuary where Parthian kings cured war wounds, the cave is also home to one of Central Asia's largest colonies of bent-winged bats. Local Turkmen folklore holds that Kov-Ata is guarded by ancient subterranean cave spirits, with swimmers and visitors reporting disembodied echoes, phantom whisperings in the water, and shadowy apparitions lurking in un-illuminated cave passages.