Lake Saiful Muluk (Urdu: سیف الملوک) is a lake located at the northern end of the Kaghan Valley (34°52′37.34″N 73°41′37.71″E / 34.8770389°N 73.6938083°E) near Naran. It is in the north east of Mansehra District in the North-West Frontier Province, Pakistan. At an altitude of 3,224 m (10,578 feet) above sea level it is amongst one of the highest lakes in Pakistan.
The lake is accessible by a 14 km road from Naran (which is accessible by a road from Mansehra via Balakot and Kaghan) during the summer months. On foot, the trek from Naran to the lake takes about 4-6 hours. The water is clear with a slight green tone. The clarity of the water comes from the multiple glaciers all around the high basin which feed the lake.
A fairy tale called Saiful Muluk, written by the famous sufi poet Mian Muhammad Bakhsh, is associated with the lake.[1] It is the story of prince of Persia who fell in love with a fairy princess at the lake.[2] The impact of the lake beauty is of such extent that people believe that fairies come down to lake in full moon.
A poet and writer from Balakot, Ahmad Hussain Mujahid, has written the story of Saif ul Malook. The first edition of the book Saif ul Malook was published in 1999.
Tourism
The Guardian ranked Lake Saiful Muluk as the 5th Best Tourist Destination in Pakistan. Mansehra District has had a flourishing tourism industry in the past due to its many mountain ranges and the Saiful Muluk Lake, however since the 2005 earthquake the region has seen a decrease in tourists. This lake is about ten thousand feet above the ground level of Naran, this beautiful lake reflects many colors in minutes.Lately there has been an interest in building hotels in the area.
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