Lake Hazar

Hazar Gölü lies in a trough on the East Anatolian fault at around twelve hundred metres, twenty-two kilometres long and deep - over two hundred metres in places - with mountains rising on both sides and water of a strong blue. Along one shore, in shallow water off Sivrice, are the remains of a submerged settlement: walls, foundations and a structure identified as a church, visible from the surface when the water is clear and low, and dived by local clubs. Its date and identity are debated, and the level of the lake has fluctuated over the centuries, exposing and re-covering it. There are beaches, campsites and small hotels along the shore, and the lake is used for swimming and windsurfing in summer, though the water stays cold. Fish include an endemic species. Sivrice is the main village, the Diyarbakır road runs along the southern shore, and the Hazarbaba mountain above has a small ski slope.

What you actually see

• The submerged walls - the sunken settlement in the shallows.
• The blue lake - deep water in the fault trough.
• The mountain shores - ridges rising on both sides.
• The beaches - swimming and campsites near Sivrice.

When to go

May to October for swimming and clear water; the submerged remains show best when the lake is low and calm. Winters at this altitude are cold.

Honest expectations

The sunken structures are shallow and unspectacular from the surface - diving shows more. The water is cold even in August. Facilities are modest campsites and small hotels.

Nearby

Harput is above Elazığ to the north; the Diyarbakır road runs south past the lake.