English: Urartular remaining ancient dam located on the borders of the monk (Rusa-Turna) Lake, Van province, Gürpınar district. The dam lake has become a natural lake in time and has returned to the bird paradise. It is located 30 km from the center of Van, on a plain on the top of the Kuh, Erek and Kazan mountains.
Its height from the sea is 2,550 m and its area is 4–7 km2 depending on the rainfall. The lake, where 20 million m3 of water can be stored, has a water collection basin of 100 km2. The lake is located on a plateau with cold spring waters. The lake surroundings become the plateau of the surrounding villages after spring. The lake, as the name of its producer, Rusa Lake, because it lives intensely, Turna Lake, the names of Monk Lake or Wide Lake are given by the local people.
King of Urartu II. In the time of Rusa (685-645 BC), the dam lake was created by closing a small river with two dams. The lake, which is an engineering masterpiece of its time, is the irrigation system that has been operating for 2700 years. The lake in the Van Lake Closed Basin feeds on rains, spring waters and temporary streams. Karamağara Stream sends out excess water of the lake. The lake is a habitat for a large number of waterfowl.
The Urartians watered the Van Plain with the water they brought from this area, and water was sent to the Tusba Castle and Toprak Kale through the canals.
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