Binagadi_asphalt_lake
Binagadi asphalt lake
Cluster of tar pits in urban Baku, Azerbaijan
The Binagadi asphalt lake (or Binagadi tar pits; Azerbaijani: Binəqədi gölü) are a cluster of tar pits in urban Baku, Azerbaijan. Asphaltum or tar has seeped up from the ground in this area for tens of thousands of years. The tar is often covered with dust, leaves, or water. Over many centuries, animals that were trapped in the tar were preserved as bones.
This ancient flora and fauna deposit is protected by the State as a monument of a nature of the special significance pursuant to the Decree of the Government of Azerbaijan Republic No. 167 of March 16, 1982.[1]