Lake Salda
Encyclopedia
Lake Salda is a mid-size crater lake
in southwestern Turkey
, within the boundaries of Yeşilova
district depending Burdur Province
, and it lies at a distance of about fifty kilometers to the west from the province seat of Burdur
.
Salda is often cited as part of the Turkish Lakes Region that corresponds to the lands that extend across inner west- to southern Anatolia
, especially in the provinces depending Isparta
and Afyonkarahisar
, although Lake Salda is geographically separate from the larger lakes which are more to the west and, being a crater lake, is morphologically different.
The lake area covers 4,370 hectares, and its depth reaches 196 meters, making it one of the deeper lakes in Turkey, if not the deepest.
It is a popular excursion spot across the region or from beyond, the more so due to the hydromagnesite
mineral found along its coasts which are believed to offer remedies for certain dermatological
diseases. The shoreline surrounded by black pine
forests are also popular among hunters, the game and the fowl available including quail
s, hare
s, fox
es, boar
s and wild duck
s, aside from the lake's fish. White sandy beaches, limpid water and seven crystal-white islets within the lake complete the scenery.
A township that starts almost at the shore to the southwest of the lake carries the same name, Salda. The local administrative seat of Yeşilova
is located to the east of the lake at a distance of about four kilometers and Yeşilova municipality manages the lake's camping facilities.
Its peculiar morphology led a number of academic studies to be conducted on Lake Salda. The unusual alkaline nature of the lake means that is one of the few locations where ancient stromatolite
algae still grows.
Crater lake
A crater lake is a lake that forms in a volcanic crater or caldera, such as a maar; less commonly and with lower association to the term a lake may form in an impact crater caused by a meteorite. Sometimes lakes which form inside calderas are called caldera lakes, but often this distinction is not...
in southwestern Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
, within the boundaries of Yeşilova
Yesilova
Yeşilova is a town and a district of Burdur Province in the Mediterranean region of Turkey....
district depending Burdur Province
Burdur Province
Burdur Province is a province of Turkey, located in the southwest and bordering Muğla and Antalya to the South, Denizli to the West, Afyon to the North, and Isparta to the East...
, and it lies at a distance of about fifty kilometers to the west from the province seat of Burdur
Burdur
Burdur , is a city southwestern Turkey and the seat of the Burdur Province of Turkey. It is located at , on the shore of Lake Burdur...
.
Salda is often cited as part of the Turkish Lakes Region that corresponds to the lands that extend across inner west- to southern Anatolia
Anatolia
Anatolia is a geographic and historical term denoting the westernmost protrusion of Asia, comprising the majority of the Republic of Turkey...
, especially in the provinces depending Isparta
Isparta
Isparta is a city in western Turkey and the provincial capital of the Isparta Province. The city's population is 222,556 and elevation from sea level is 1035 m. Another name of the city is "City of Roses"....
and Afyonkarahisar
Afyonkarahisar
Afyonkarahisar is a city in western Turkey, the capital of Afyon Province. Afyon is in mountainous countryside inland from the Aegean coast, south-west of Ankara along the Akarçay River. Elevation...
, although Lake Salda is geographically separate from the larger lakes which are more to the west and, being a crater lake, is morphologically different.
The lake area covers 4,370 hectares, and its depth reaches 196 meters, making it one of the deeper lakes in Turkey, if not the deepest.
It is a popular excursion spot across the region or from beyond, the more so due to the hydromagnesite
Hydromagnesite
Hydromagnesite is a hydrated magnesium carbonate mineral with the formula: Mg542.4H2O.It generally occurs associated with the weathering products of magnesium containing minerals such as serpentine or brucite. It occurs as incrustations and vein or fracture fillings in ultramafic rocks and...
mineral found along its coasts which are believed to offer remedies for certain dermatological
Dermatology
Dermatology is the branch of medicine dealing with the skin and its diseases, a unique specialty with both medical and surgical aspects. A dermatologist takes care of diseases, in the widest sense, and some cosmetic problems of the skin, scalp, hair, and nails....
diseases. The shoreline surrounded by black pine
European Black Pine
Pinus nigra, the European Black Pine, is a moderately variable species of pine, occurring across southern Mediterranean Europe from Spain to the Crimea, in Asia Minor and on Cyprus, and in the high mountains of the Maghreb in North Africa....
forests are also popular among hunters, the game and the fowl available including quail
Quail
Quail is a collective name for several genera of mid-sized birds generally considered in the order Galliformes. Old World quail are found in the family Phasianidae, while New World quail are found in the family Odontophoridae...
s, hare
Hare
Hares and jackrabbits are leporids belonging to the genus Lepus. Hares less than one year old are called leverets. Four species commonly known as types of hare are classified outside of Lepus: the hispid hare , and three species known as red rock hares .Hares are very fast-moving...
s, fox
Fox
Fox is a common name for many species of omnivorous mammals belonging to the Canidae family. Foxes are small to medium-sized canids , characterized by possessing a long narrow snout, and a bushy tail .Members of about 37 species are referred to as foxes, of which only 12 species actually belong to...
es, boar
Boar
Wild boar, also wild pig, is a species of the pig genus Sus, part of the biological family Suidae. The species includes many subspecies. It is the wild ancestor of the domestic pig, an animal with which it freely hybridises...
s and wild duck
Duck
Duck is the common name for a large number of species in the Anatidae family of birds, which also includes swans and geese. The ducks are divided among several subfamilies in the Anatidae family; they do not represent a monophyletic group but a form taxon, since swans and geese are not considered...
s, aside from the lake's fish. White sandy beaches, limpid water and seven crystal-white islets within the lake complete the scenery.
A township that starts almost at the shore to the southwest of the lake carries the same name, Salda. The local administrative seat of Yeşilova
Yesilova
Yeşilova is a town and a district of Burdur Province in the Mediterranean region of Turkey....
is located to the east of the lake at a distance of about four kilometers and Yeşilova municipality manages the lake's camping facilities.
Its peculiar morphology led a number of academic studies to be conducted on Lake Salda. The unusual alkaline nature of the lake means that is one of the few locations where ancient stromatolite
Stromatolite
Stromatolites or stromatoliths are layered accretionary structures formed in shallow water by the trapping, binding and cementation of sedimentary grains by biofilms of microorganisms, especially cyanobacteria ....
algae still grows.