Larnaca Salt Lake

Coordinates: 34°54′N 33°37′E / 34.900°N 33.617°E / 34.900; 33.617
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Larnaca Salt Lake
in winter with part of Larnaca city in the background.
Location of Larnaca Salt Lake in Cyprus.
Location of Larnaca Salt Lake in Cyprus.
Larnaca Salt Lake
Coordinates34°54′N 33°37′E / 34.900°N 33.617°E / 34.900; 33.617
Basin countriesCyprus
Surface area1,585 ha (3,920 acres)[1]
Average depth1 m (3 ft 3 in)
Surface elevation0 m (0 ft)
SettlementsLarnaca
References[1]
Designated11 July 2001
Reference no.1081[2]

Larnaca Salt Lake (

halophytic scrubland and on its bank lies the Hala Sultan Tekke, one of the holiest of shrines within Ottoman Islam. It houses the tomb of Umm Haram, Muhammad
's 'wet-nurse'.

Besides its picturesque beauty, the lake is the haunt of 85 species of water-birds with estimated populations between 20,000 and 38,000.[

Sylvia melanothorax.[citation needed] Flocks of birdwatchers gather to observe the blaze of pink from flamingoes as they gather in the centre of the lake but also the other important migrants. The Larnaca Salt Lake complex was declared as a protected area by a decision of the Council of Ministers in 1997.[7]
Recent evidence suggests that contrary to previous belief the greater flamingo (Phoenicopterus roseus) not only stops over but also breeds on this wetland.[8]

During the winter months the lake fills with water while in the summer the water evaporates, leaving a crust of salt and a haze of grey dust. According to legend, the lake's saltiness stems from St Lazarus' request to an old woman for food and drink. She refused, claiming her vines had dried up, to which Lazarus replied: "may your vines be dry and be a salt lake forever more."[9] A more scientific explanation is that the salt water penetrates the porous rock between the lake and the sea, making the water very salty.[citation needed]

Salt harvested from this lake used to be one of the island's major exports, being collected with donkeys, carried to the edge of the lake, and piled up into huge pyramidal heaps. With rising labour costs harvesting dwindled to a negligible amount and stopped altogether in 1986[3] as the island now imports most of this commodity.[citation needed]

Gallery

  • Flamingos on the lake
    Flamingos on the lake
  • Aerial photo of the Larnaca Salt Lake (in winter) with Hala Sultan Tekke
    Aerial photo of the Larnaca Salt Lake (in winter) with Hala Sultan Tekke

References

  1. ^ a b "The Annotated Ramsar List: Cyprus". Ramsar Convention Secretariat. 24 August 2001. Archived from the original on 29 June 2008. Retrieved 6 June 2016.
  2. ^ "Larnaca Salt Lake". Ramsar Sites Information Service. Retrieved 25 April 2018.
  3. ^ a b c "Report of the environmental audit of the city of Larnaca" (PDF). Medcities. May 1999. Retrieved 2007-03-29.
  4. ^ Kassinis, Nicolaos; Michalis Antoniou (October 2006). "Proceedings of the first symposium on the Mediterranean action plan for the conservation of marine and coastal birds (p94)" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on September 29, 2007. Retrieved 2007-03-29.
  5. ^ Iezekiel S., Makris C., Antoniou A. (2004) Important Bird Areas of European Union Importance in Cyprus. Birdlife Cyprus, Lefkosia 2004.
  6. ^ "BirdLife IBA Factsheet - Larnaca salt-lake". BirdLife International. 2006. Retrieved 2007-03-25.
  7. ^ Hadjichristoforou, Myroula (8 December 2004). "5th European Regional Meeting on the implementation and effectiveness of the Ramsar Convention" (PDF). Ramsar. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 6, 2006. Retrieved 2007-03-25.
  8. S2CID 21090604
    .
  9. ^ "Saint Lazare in Larnaca". Damianos Foundation. Archived from the original on 2007-09-30. Retrieved 2007-04-16.

External links

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