Tuzbair Salt Flat

Tuzbair is a salt pan lying at the foot of the Ustyurt escarpment in northern Mangystau, a flat white expanse several kilometres across with the chalk cliffs of the plateau rising behind it in ribs and towers. For most of the year it is dry crust; after rain or in spring a shallow film of water covers it and the surface reflects the cliffs and the sky, which is when it is most photographed. Isolated chalk outcrops stand out on the flat. It is reached by track from the Shetpe direction and forms part of the standard Mangystau circuit with Sherkala, Bozzhira and the underground mosques. There is nothing there but the landscape.

What you actually see

• The salt pan - the white flat running to the base of the cliffs.
• The escarpment - the chalk wall of the Ustyurt plateau behind.
• Reflections - the mirror surface when a film of water lies on the pan.
• Chalk outcrops - the isolated formations standing on the flat.

When to go

April to May for the best chance of water on the surface and for spring flowering; September to October is dry but comfortable. Summer is extremely hot. The reflection depends entirely on recent rain.

Honest expectations

The mirror effect is seasonal and unreliable; most visits find dry crust. Driving on the pan after rain traps vehicles. There is no water, shade or signal. A guide with local knowledge is needed to find the access and the viewpoints.

Nearby

Sherkala lies south; Bozzhira is southwest across the plateau.