Nemrut Lake
Lake Nemrut is the second largest crater lake in the world and the largest in Turkey, and is named after Nemrut, the Babylonian ruler who lived in 2100 BC. Lake Nemrut is located in the west of Lake Van basin, between Tatvan, Ahlat and Güroymak districts of Bitlis province. The width of the rim of the crater formed as a result of the explosions in Nemrut is 48 km2, and the width of the bottom is 36 km2. There are a total of 5 lakes, two of which are large, within the crater area at an altitude of 2,247 m at sea level in the Nemrut caldera. Its average depth is 100 m and its deepest point is 155 m. The hot waters and hot springs around the lake are the last traces of volcanic activities. The waters of Lake Nemrut, which is fed by snow and spring waters and deepened in places, are cold and sweet. Analysis of the water samples showed that it was clear, colorless, odorless and tasted like normal drinking water. Its water is within normal limits in terms of radioactivity. It is slightly alkaline with a pH acidity of 7.4. The mirror carp, which was left in small numbers in 1986 in Lake Nemrut, which is very rich in terms of nitroplankton, multiplied in a short time and reached the level where fishing can be done. The fact that plants from different regions continue to live together, the lake levels remain almost constant, and the balance of precipitation and evaporation show that this place has a microclimate.
