Lake Çıldır (; ka, ჩრდილი, ჩრდილის ტბა, ''Črdilis tba'', meaning "lake of shadows", , ''Tsovak Hyusiso'', meaning "small sea of the north", , ''Paghkatsi lich'', meaning "cold lake"), is a large freshwater lake in the provinces of Ardahan and

Kars Kars ( or ; ; ) is a city in northeast Turkey. It is the seat of Kars Province and Kars District.� ...

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 ...

. It is located close to the borders with Georgia and Armenia. Lake Çıldır is located at an elevation of approximately and is surrounded by a mountainous region. It has an area of and a maximum depth of about . Water from the lake is used for irrigation. The lake freezes over in the winter. The area around the lake is primarily used for livestock farming, with little vegetation present and absence of agriculture due to harsh conditions.

History

Its south shore may have been the location of the Etiuni, a tribal confederation frequently mentioned in the records of

Urartu Urartu was an Iron Age kingdom centered around the Armenian highlands between Lake Van, Lake Urmia, and Lake Sevan. The territory of the ancient kingdom of Urartu extended over the modern frontiers of Turkey, Iran, Iraq, and Armenia.Kleiss, Wo ...

. The lake has an island near the shores of the village of Akçakale, where archaeological remains are preserved. Currently, Lake Çıldır connects to

Arpaçay Arpaçay () is a town in Kars Province in the Eastern Anatolia region of Turkey. It is the seat of Arpaçay District.

via an overflow channel that was opened on the basalts in the south. The Çıldır basin in the north of Lake Çıldır is connected to the Kura River by Kocaçay, one of the branches of the Kura.

Gallery

File:Çıldır Gölü At.jpg, An horse in lake Çıldır File:Ardahan Çıldır Lake.jpg, Landscape near lake Çıldır File:Çıldır Gölünde Atlı Kızak.jpg, Equestrian sled in lake Çıldır File:Çıldır gölü kıyısında endemik bir soğalnı bitki.jpg, Plants near lake Çıldır

References

Cildir Landforms of Ardahan Province Landforms of Kars Province Important Bird Areas of Turkey Arpaçay District Çıldır District {{Ardahan-geo-stub