Acıgöl (''literally "the bitter lake" in Turkish'') is a lake in
Turkey
Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...
's inner
Aegean Region
The Aegean region () is one of the 7 Geographical regions of Turkey, geographical regions of Turkey. The largest city in the region is İzmir. Other big cities are Manisa, Aydın, Denizli, Muğla, Afyonkarahisar and Kütahya.
Located in w ...
, in an
endorheic
An endorheic basin ( ; also endoreic basin and endorreic basin) is a drainage basin that normally retains water and allows no outflow to other external bodies of water (e.g. rivers and oceans); instead, the water drainage flows into permanent ...
basin at the junction between the provinces of
Denizli
Denizli is a city in Aegean Region, Aegean Turkey, and seat of the province of Denizli Province, Denizli. The city forms the urban part of the districts Merkezefendi and Pamukkale, Denizli, Pamukkale, with a population of 691 783 in 2024.
Denizl ...
,
Afyonkarahisar
Afyonkarahisar (, 'poppy, opium', ''kara'' 'black', ''hisar'' 'fortress') is a major city in western Turkey. It is the administrative centre of Afyonkarahisar Province and Afyonkarahisar District. Its population is 251,799 (2021). Afyon is in the ...
, and Burdur. Its surface area varies greatly through the seasons, from in spring to in late summer. The lake has a maximum depth of , with the surface elevation above sea level. It is notable for its reserves of
sodium sulfate
Sodium sulfate (also known as sodium sulphate or sulfate of soda) is the inorganic compound with formula Na2SO4 as well as several related hydrates. All forms are white solids that are highly soluble in water. With an annual production of 6 mill ...
, used extensively in industry, and it is the site of Turkey's largest commercial sodium sulfate production operation. The lake lies east of
Denizli
Denizli is a city in Aegean Region, Aegean Turkey, and seat of the province of Denizli Province, Denizli. The city forms the urban part of the districts Merkezefendi and Pamukkale, Denizli, Pamukkale, with a population of 691 783 in 2024.
Denizl ...
city. From west to east, the lake's surrounding districts and towns are Bozkurt, Çardak, Dazkırı and
Başmakçı
Başmakçı is a town of Afyonkarahisar Province in the Aegean region of Turkey, closer to Denizli than to the city of Afyon itself. It is the seat of Başmakçı District.fault line on its south side. The lake is estimated to contain of sodium sulfate on the surface and in the subsurface
brine
Brine (or briny water) is a high-concentration solution of salt (typically sodium chloride or calcium chloride) in water. In diverse contexts, ''brine'' may refer to the salt solutions ranging from about 3.5% (a typical concentration of seawat ...
, with probable total reserves of and possible reserves of . The yearly production rate in the late 1990s was , all from
private sector
The private sector is the part of the economy which is owned by private groups, usually as a means of establishment for profit or non profit, rather than being owned by the government.
Employment
The private sector employs most of the workfo ...
companies.
The ancient Greeks called the lake ''Anaua'' (), and the ancient town near the lake was named Anaua. Historians think that the lake ''Ascania'' (Ἀσκανία) mentioned by
Arrian
Arrian of Nicomedia (; Greek: ''Arrianos''; ; )
was a Greek historian, public servant, military commander, and philosopher of the Roman period.
'' The Anabasis of Alexander'' by Arrian is considered the best source on the campaigns of ...