Location Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region, Ishkashim District.
Location 42 km southeast of the city of Khorog, 60 km from the village of Ishkashim.
The hot mineral spring Garm-Chashma (translated from Tajik as “Hot Spring”) is located at an altitude of 2325 m above sea level, on the western slope of the Shakhdarya Range, in the middle reaches of the Garm-Chashma River, which is a tributary of the Pyanj River.
The source is more than one thousand years old, since only a centuries-old existence could form a huge travertine deposit (lime incrustations), cascading down to the river. These cascades - bright white, yellowish and brown colors - stretch in the form of a curved hill, the length of which is about 1.5 km, width 35-45 m, height from 7 to 35 m. Mineral water comes to the surface strictly along the ridge, from large depths, in the form of gushing small and large griffins, the pillars of which are from 10 cm to 1.5 m high. In total, from 5 to 7 liters of hot water per second come from the griffins. Water brings to the earth's surface lime-calcite balls of the correct form, the diameter of which is from 0.5 to 3-4 cm in diameter, mixed with white turbidity of a lime-gypsum-chalk character.
Deposits of balls and turbidity form lime deposits - a travertine hill, at the end of which there are a number of natural bowls - pools of various sizes, with a water mirror from 0.5 to 20 square meters. m and a depth of up to half a meter. They are filled with hot turquoise water, which contains iron, aluminum, magnesium, strontium, fluorine and other elements. The water also contains a large amount of hydrogen sulfide (170 milligrams per liter), silicic acid (135 milligrams per liter) and carbon dioxide (381 milligrams per liter). The temperature of the water at the outlet of the griffins to the surface is about plus 62 degrees Celsius. The water temperature in the "pools" ranges from plus 38 to plus 50 degrees Celsius, depending on the proximity of the source. The outer walls of the reservoir make a charming impression, thanks to the white stalactites adhering to them, painted in a wide variety of colors by colorful algae covering them. The bottom of the largest "basin" is covered with deposits of a thin, soft sediment of calcium carbonate with an admixture of sulfur.
In this area there are also carbonic mineral springs with a constant temperature of +14 degrees Celsius, the water of which is used by the local population as a table.
A valuable resort factor of the location of the springs is also its favorable climate, which, in combination with hydrotherapy, gives a good result in the treatment of certain diseases of the cardiovascular and nervous systems, the musculoskeletal system, as well as skin and gynecological diseases.
In 1957, at the place where the mineral waters came out, the Garm-Chashma balneary was built, which was subsequently completed and rebuilt several times.