Band-e-Amir, with its bright turquoise waters and intricate system of natural rock dams, is one of Afghanistan’s most precious natural wonders. It was declared a national park in 2009, with a brand-new road built to bring what residents hope will be flocks of visitors to its shores.

The road linking Bamian city with Yakawlang, the district that houses Band-e-Amir, is now 80 percent complete. The 75-kilometer stretch is being built by the Korean company Somone, with assistance from the Japanese and the Asia Development Bank, at a cost of approximately 63 million US dollars.

Nestled in the intersection of the Pamir and Hindu Kush mountain ranges, Band-e-Amir is composed of six small, natural dams, the Paneer, Podeena, Barbar, Zulfeqar, Ghulaman and Haibat.

Located just 215 kilometers from Kabul, the dam attracts visitors from all over the country, as well as some hardy tourists from abroad. The immense natural beauty and cool summer temperatures make it a popular destination.

But for Afghans, Band-e-Amir is more than just a place for sightseeing; it is a holy shrine.

“We are here both for pilgrimage and sightseeing”, said Jamila, 28, who has come to Band-e-Amir with 15 of her relatives. There are many religious legends surrounding the dam, making it a scene of pilgrimage.

Residents of Bamian recount how Hazrat-e-Ali, the fourth Caliph of Islam, created the dams. After entering Bamian, it is said, Ali invited the king of the local tribe to accept Islam. He slew a dragon and dammed the waters of Band-e-Amir, and is also said to have prayed over it.

But Mohammad Akbar, Jamila’s father, had a different explanation.

“During the era before Islam in Bamian, the waters from this lake were flowing into agricultural land,” he said. “The king assigned workers to dam the lake, but they were unable to do so. When Hazrat-e-Ali came, he broke a large piece of rock from the mountain with his sword and used it to make the dam.”

The close association of Band-e-Amir with Hazrat-e-Ali was what prompted Mohammad Akbar to make the long trek from Kabul with his three daughters and eight grandchildren. It took them eight hours by road to reach the dam.

But Sayed Mohseini, a religious scholar in Bamian, rejects such legends, saying they have no credence within Islam.

“We believe that Allah controls all creation, and that Band-e-Amir is one of his miracles,” explained Mohseini.

Those who have visited Band-e-Amir are often surprised at how the dam has resisted the flow of water for so many thousands of years. The front of the dam appears fragile, and the water flows over it freely, but the dam still holds.

The people of Bamian believe the waters of Band-e-Amir have medicinal properties. People from all over the country bring their children to the lake in all kinds of weather, to bathe them in the water.

One woman said that her uncle’s daughter in law who had not been able to conceive for nine years after the birth of her first child came to Band-e-Amir and bathed in the waters. She is now pregnant.

“My two-year-old son, Ali Ahmad, was born paralyzed; I came here to pray for my second child to be born healthy,” she added.

Some experts confirm that the waters of the lake have special properties that might have some medical applications.

“Band-e-Amir formed gradually, over thousands of years, and its waters contain many chemical elements,” said Mohammad Kazem Yazdani, a prominent historian. “The water has many benefits.”

The gradual formation of the dam accounts for its ability to withstand the force of the water, he added. The front of the dam is also formed from chemical elements, he explained, and is impervious to the flow of water. The overflow is directed to agricultural lands.

There is a small room close to the top of the dam set aside for women to pray. Local people believe that Hazrat-e-Ali himself prayed in that room.

There are approximately 38 families in the area who take turns keeping the room clean. Today it is Sayeed Mohammad who is sweeping up.

“Women come and ask God to grant their requests,” he said. He pointed to a series of locks, maybe 40 or 50 in all, hanging in the room. “People come and pull at the locks. If they open, their wishes will be granted.”

That morning a boy had opened three of the locks, he said, while another one had only been able to open one.

But a local lad rejected that the locks had any magical powers. “They are so old you can just tug on them and they open,” he laughed.

One thing that all visitors complain about is the lack of facilities.

Jamila pointed to the need for a clinic to house those who come to seek the Medical boon of the waters. “They may need to stay here for days,” she said.

Mirza Shah, 37, is an Afghan refugee in Saudi Arabia. He said that he had never seen such natural grandeur.

“There is no dam so beautiful in the Arab countries,” he said. “They have dams, but they are not natural.”

But Band-e-Amir needs luxury hotels, he said, as well as boats for sailing.

Now there are just six small pedal boats on the lake, without motors, with the capacity to take three or four persons each.

The water owes its bright color to the ban on swimming, hunting and motor boats on the lake, say local residents.

No one knows how deep the lake is, or how far down the dam projects. One old man recounted how a team of foreign divers had come to measure the depth of the dam.

“They were down there for 40 minutes but could not reach the bottom of the dam,” he said.

A British tourist was enthusiastic about the beauty of the dam, but complained about the lack of facilities.

Abdul Rahman Ahmadi, spokesperson for the governor of Bamian, said that Governor Habiba Sarabi had placed protecting ancient monuments in Bamian and providing tourist facilities at the top of her agenda.

“We have approximately two million dollars from USAID to provide facilities at Band-e-Amir,” said Ahmadi.

The government is hoping that tourism will provide a much-needed income source for Bamian, which has other popular destinations within its borders. But there is much to do before visitors are able to come in large numbers.