Saki Lake is located in the suburb of Yevpatoria, the city of Saki. Its mud and brine have such high therapeutic characteristic that Yevpatoria became one of the most famous balneological resorts of the Russian Empire back in the 19th century. Some people also come here to see the pink water. At sunset, you can take very beautiful photos here.
The beautiful pink color of the Saki Lake is due to the unicellular algae Dunaliella Salina, which secrete carotene. The intensity of carotene release varies depending on the time of year, so the lake has a color from purple in spring to bright pink in the hot summer months. It is most convenient to approach the Saki Lake by the dam from the side of the Embankment of the Saki Lake.
The healing properties of salt lakes in the vicinity of Yevpatoria were known to ancient historians when Greek colonies were located on the coast of Crimea. The most famous lakes where therapeutic mud is extracted are Saki Lake, Moynaki Lake and Sasyk-Sivash Lake. All of them used to be sea estuaries, but several thousand years ago sandbanks formed that separated them from the sea. Gradually, layers of therapeutic mud formed at the bottom of these lakes, and the water turned into a salty solution (brine).
In the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century, therapeutic procedures were made on the lakes. The area of Moynaki Lake is the smallest 1.72 km2, it dried up faster, so in those years procedures were made there most often. The area of the Saki Lake is much larger, 9.70 km2, so it is more often used only for mud extraction. The thickness of the silt sulfide mud in the Saki lake reaches 1-2 meters.
Therapeutic procedures are now made in sanatoriums. Mud and brine from the lakes of Yevpatoria are used to treat joints, musculoskeletal system, gynecological diseases. Skin and respiratory diseases are also treated here. Yevpatoria is a rehabilitation center for children with cerebral palsy.
In 1893, the Saki Lake was divided into two parts by a dam, and today it is divided into 7 parts. This is done in order to separate the therapeutic pool of the Saki Lake from the negative impact of flood waters. Also, the separation of lakes by dams solves the problem of raising the groundwater level. These waters can negatively affect the mineralization of the brine of the Saki Lake, as well as the composition of mud, which reduces their medicinal properties.
In 2021, a beautiful promenade was made on the shore of the Saki Lake near the Sakropol sanatorium. It continues along the lake with fresh water. Every evening a lot of people walk along the Embankment of the Saki Lake. To see the rose water of the therapeutic pool of the Saki Lake, you have to walk along the dam. If you want to take beautiful photos of rose water, then you need to come to the embankment in the late afternoon. At sunset, the water acquires the most beautiful pink hue.
