Lake Uluabat ( tr, Uluabat Gölü and ) is the name of a freshwater lake in the vicinity of Bursa, Turkey. It is a large lake, covering an area of between 135 and 160 km² depending on the water level, but very shallow, being only 3 m deep at its deepest point. The lake contains eight islands and one other that is sometimes an island and sometimes a peninsula. The largest island is known as Halilbey Island. In the southwest the lake is fed by the Mustafakemalpaşa River, which has formed a silty delta. Water leaves the lake by way of the Ulubat stream, flowing to the west, and reaches the Sea of Marmara via the

Susurluk River The Simav ( tr, Simav Çayı) or Susurluk RiverTurkish General Directorate of State Water Works (DSİ)." Archive accessed 3 Sept. 2011. (''Susurluk Çayı'') is a river in Anatolian Turkey. Its course is 321 km long and its basin comprises 22 4 ...

. Most shores of the lake are covered in submerged plants, and it has the most extensive

white water lily White waterlily can mean: * ''Nymphaea alba'', of Europe and North Africa * '' Nymphaea lotus'', of East Africa and Southeast Asia * ''Nymphaea nouchali'', of South Asia, Southeast Asia and Northern Australia * ''Nymphaea odorata ''Nymphaea odor ...

beds in Turkey. Uluabat Lake is one of the breeding areas for the endangered pygmy cormorant (''Phalacrocorax pygmeus''). The latest DHKD (Society for the Protection of Nature Turkey) survey in June 1998 found 823 pygmy cormorant pairs, 105 night heron pairs, 109 squacco heron pairs, and 48

spoonbill Spoonbills are a genus, ''Platalea'', of large, long-legged wading birds. The spoonbills have a global distribution, being found on every continent except Antarctica. The genus name ''Platalea'' derives from Ancient Greek and means "broad", refe ...

pairs breeding on Uluabat. The alternative name Lake ''Apolyont'' comes from the lake's greek classical name Apolloniatis (''Απολλωνιάτις''), from Apollonia-on-the-Rhyndacum (modern

Gölyazı Gölyazı is a Turkish town founded on a small peninsula on Lake Uluabat. Gölyazı was founded by the Ancient Greeks. but remains of the Roman period are abundant. Every year the town holds the ''Stork Festival'' and until the 20th century, G ...

), an ancient Greek city situated on its banks which had considerable importance since it was on major trade routes. Modern residential areas by its shores are Mustafakemalpaşa (formerly Kirmasti) and Karacabey (formerly Mikalick). The area was famous for centuries for its silkworm cultivation, but this industry has died out due to synthetic fabrics. The main industry today is fishing.

History

Overview

Uluabat Lake was recognized by the

Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance Especially as Waterfowl Habitat is an international treaty for the conservation and sustainable use of Ramsar sites (wetlands). It is also known as the Convention on Wetlands. It i ...

. The Global Nature Fund designated the lake as a "Living Lake" in 1998.

Hydrology

Lake Uluabat empties into the Sea of Marmara via the

. The Lake is fed by the Mustafakemalpaşa River.

Ecology

Lake Uluabat is a large, long, shallow inland lake that is surrounded by marshes and agricultural land. There are submerged plants on the shores of the lake. According to the Global Nature Fund, there is nowhere in Turkey with more

beds than Lake Uluabat.

Islands and peninsulas

There are seven islands in the lake, including Halilbey Island.—which is the largest island, and St. Constantine—known for the Byzantine era monastery. Today St. Constantine island is uninhabited, but the monastery has survived the Ottoman conquest of Asia Minor. The orthodox monastery has received attention from scholars because of its inscribed cross type with apses east and west. One of the most well-known features of Lake Uluabat is the small island village of

—an ancient Greek settlement near modern day Bursa. Gölyazı was featured in the final episode of the Turkish TV series '' Kara Para Aşk''. The Gölyazı Old Mosque, located on the peninsula is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Wildlife

The lake, which has an "Unprotected Status" (UP), was declared by

BirdLife International BirdLife International is a global partnership of non-governmental organizations that strives to conserve birds and their habitats. BirdLife International's priorities include preventing extinction of bird species, identifying and safeguarding ...

as an

Important Bird Area An Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBA) is an area identified using an internationally agreed set of criteria as being globally important for the conservation of bird populations. IBA was developed and sites are identified by BirdLife Int ...

in 1989 for its waterfowl species of international character and species which are globally threatened. This paper was "adapted from a talk given at the XVII ICBP European Continental Section Conference held in Adana, Turkey from May 15 to May 20, 1989. Uluabat Lake is one of the breeding areas for the endangered pygmy cormorant (''Phalacrocorax pygmeus''). The latest DHKD (Society for the Protection of Nature Turkey) survey in June 1998 found 823 pygmy cormorant pairs, 105 night heron pairs, 109 squacco heron pairs, and 48

pairs breeding on Uluabat. There are 21 species of fish in Lake Uluabat.

References

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Ramsar sites in Turkey Landforms of Bursa Province Important Bird Areas of Turkey