Lake Akdoğan, also called Lake Hamurpert, is the name of two neighbouring

Crater Crater may refer to: Landforms *Impact crater, a depression caused by two celestial bodies impacting each other, such as a meteorite hitting a planet *Explosion crater, a hole formed in the ground produced by an explosion near or below the surfac ...

lakes on the

Akdoğan Mountains Akdoğan Mountains ( tr, Akdoğan Dağları or Hamurpert Dağları); ( hy, Համուր, Khamur or Xamurpert); is a mountain range located at the zero point of the Muş Province, Muş and Erzurum Province, Erzurum border. It extends from the east ...

in Turkey. They are separated by a land strip of about . They are both high-altitude lakes located in Varto district of Muş Province.

History

The word Xamurpert means 'Dried castle' in Armenian. According to Gukas Inchichyan, it is said that a bey (melik) dynasty of

Sasun Sason ( hy, Սասուն, translit=Sasun, ku, Qabilcewz, ar, قبل جوز; formerly known as Sasun or Sassoun) is a district and town in the Batman Province of Turkey. It was formerly part of the sanjak of Siirt, which was in Diyarbakır vi ...

origin ruled in the Xamurpert or Xamlpert castle in these mountains until the 1760s.

Geology and geomorphology

As a result of the volcanic eruptions in the

. Akdoğan crater lakes were formed. The complete melting of the snow around the lakes takes place at the end of May. With the arrival of May, the habitats around the lakes have been revived.

Bigger lake

Lake Akdoğan ( tr, Akdoğan Gölü) is at . Its elevation with respect to sea level is and its maximum depth is . Its surface area is about Culture portal
/ref> The snow from Akdoğan mountains feeds it, and the excess water pours into İskender creek. Big Akdoğan is 3,971 meters wide and 6,185 meters long.

Smaller lake

Lake Small Akdoğan ( tr, Küçük Akdoğan Gölü) is at . Its elevation with respect to sea level is and its maximum depth is . Its surface area is . It feeds the main lake through an underground creek. Small Akdoğan is 2,243 meters long and 964 meters wide.

Biota

Flora

The main plant species in the Akdoğan Lakes are toxic Ferula and non-toxic Ferula, Rheum ribes, Gundelia, Sorrel, Arum maculatum,

Eremurus spectabilis ''Eremurus'' is a genus of deciduous perennial flowers in the family Asphodelaceae. They are also known as the foxtail lilies or desert candles. They are native to eastern Europe in (Russia and Ukraine), and temperate Asia from Turkey to China. ...

, Diplotaenia cachrydifolia Boiss,

Chaerophyllum ''Chaerophyllum'' is a genus of flowering plant in the family Apiaceae, with 35 species native to Europe, Asia, North America, and northern Africa. It includes the cultivated root vegetable '' Chaerophyllum bulbosum'' (turnip rooted chervil). ...

macrospermum, Thymus (plant),

Paeonia turcica ''Paeonia turcica'', the Turkish peony, is a plant that is native to the mountains of Eastern Anatolia Region and Mediterranean region of Turkey. It is also called the bear rose in Turkey. The flowers are produced in late spring with a deep ma ...

, Astragalus kurdicus and Euphorbia sp. In addition, there are

Pleurotus eryngii var. ferulae ''Pleurotus eryngii'' var. ''ferulae '' (commonly known as Ferula mushroom) is a type of mushroom that usually grows in the dried roots of the poisonous ''Ferula'' plant in the east of Turkey and northwest of Iran. Description After 1 year a ...

mushrooms in every part of the Lakes. Frangula alnus and Prunus cerasifera are located on the humid shores of the lake. Oak tree, Crataegus monogyna, Malus sylvestris, Prunus mahaleb, Rosa canina and Cotoneaster nummularius are other trees around the lake.

Fauna

The main fish in the lake is the common carp. The primary birds living on the lake are ducks, geese, and cranes. There are also many Bears around the lake. Other animals in the region are Wolf,

Fox Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush''). Twelv ...

, Pig, Partridge,

Lynx A lynx is a type of wild cat. Lynx may also refer to: Astronomy * Lynx (constellation) * Lynx (Chinese astronomy) * Lynx X-ray Observatory, a NASA-funded mission concept for a next-generation X-ray space observatory Places Canada * Lynx, Ontar ...

, Turtle, Williams's jerboa, Caspian turtle and European green lizard.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lake Akdoğan Landforms of Muş Province Akdoğan Important Bird Areas of Turkey