An “ancient” lake in southern Türkiye that was drained in the 1970s to create farmland has refilled with water following recent heavy rains.
Karagöl, located in the Elmalı district of Antalya province, had been drained decades ago to expand agricultural land, similar to nearby Avlan Lake. The lake, which once covered an area of around 2,440 hectares, had remained dry for many years.
The site is also historically significant. Near the lake stands the 2,500-year-old Kızılbel Tumulus, dated to 525 B.C. The burial mound was uncovered by Professor Machteld Johanna Mellink, a renowned archaeologist often referred to as the “mother of Anatolian archaeology.”
Wall paintings inside the tomb chamber depict people rowing a wooden boat across the waters of Karagöl, suggesting that the lake played a central role in the region’s life and culture in antiquity.
Karagöl was drained in the 1970s through large drainage canals and sinkholes in an effort to increase agricultural production and reclaim land. After it dried up, a road was built across the lakebed and local residents began using the area for farming.
Archaeologist Durmuş Altan, head of the Culture, Arts and Social Affairs Department at Elmalı Municipality, said the lake has significant historical value.
“Elmalı has several important karstic lakes, including Avlan Lake, Baranda Lake and Karagöl. Karagöl is actually one of the oldest lakes in the region,” Altan said.
He noted that the Kızılbel Tumulus was built overlooking the lake, indicating its importance in ancient times.
“When we look at the depictions in the tomb, we see that the ruler had his tomb built with a view of Karagöl. In one scene, he is traveling across the lake in a boat rowed by 14 people. In another, he is shown hunting wild boar around the lake,” Altan said.
Altan added that Karagöl had not held water for many years.
“But this year, as with Avlan Lake and other lakes in the area, heavy rainfall has brought Karagöl back to life. The rains have restored the lake, and there is now a magnificent view behind us,” he said.
