Lake Marmara
Encyclopedia
Lake Marmara is a lake in Manisa Province
, western Turkey
, bordered by the district areas of Gölmarmara
to the northwest, whose name itself is inspired by the lake, and in larger part by Salihli
.
Lake Marmara is located in the alluvial valley of Gediz River
and at 79 m (259 ft), is slightly lower than the surrounding plains of the river (91 m (299 ft) for the nearby Gölmarmara town center).
Aside from being a recreational center for the province as a whole, Lake Marmara also an important source for fishing and agricultural irrigation and an Important Bird Area
.
In the early stages of Anatolian history, the lake was famous as a resort center for the Lydians
, at a short distance from their capital, and was called under various names throughout history, the most notable being "Lake Gyges
" or "Gygaean Lake" and "Lake Coloe" or "Lake Koloe."
Manisa Province
Manisa Province is a province in western Turkey. Its neighboring provinces are İzmir to the west, Aydın to the south, Denizli to the south east, Uşak to the east, Kütahya to the north east, and Balıkesir to the north...
, western 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...
, bordered by the district areas of Gölmarmara
Gölmarmara
Gölmarmara is a town and district of Manisa Province in Turkey's Aegean at a distance of from the province center of Manisa. The town owes its name to the nearby Lake Marmara, called under various names throughout history. The town of Gölmarmara itself was a mere village in Ottoman times cited...
to the northwest, whose name itself is inspired by the lake, and in larger part by Salihli
Salihli
Salihli is a large town and district of Manisa Province in the Aegean region of Turkey.-Geography:The city of Salihli, the seat of the district, is located on İzmir-Ankara highway and the parallel railway connections. The urban zone is situated on the slopes of Bozdağ mountain chain along the...
.
Lake Marmara is located in the alluvial valley of Gediz River
Gediz River
-Name:The ancient name of the river was Hermos or Hermus.The name of the river Gediz may be related to the Lydian proper name Cadys; Gediz is also the name of a town near the river's sources. The name "Gediz" may also be encountered as a male name in Turkey.-Ancient geography:The Hermos separated...
and at 79 m (259 ft), is slightly lower than the surrounding plains of the river (91 m (299 ft) for the nearby Gölmarmara town center).
Aside from being a recreational center for the province as a whole, Lake Marmara also an important source for fishing and agricultural irrigation and an Important Bird Area
Important Bird Area
An Important Bird Area is an area recognized as being globally important habitat for the conservation of bird populations. Currently there are about 10,000 IBAs worldwide. The program was developed and sites are identified by BirdLife International...
.
In the early stages of Anatolian history, the lake was famous as a resort center for the Lydians
Lydians
The Lydians were the inhabitants of Lydia, a region in western Anatolia, who spoke the distinctive Lydian language, an Indo-European language of the Anatolian group....
, at a short distance from their capital, and was called under various names throughout history, the most notable being "Lake Gyges
Gyges of Lydia
Gyges was the founder of the third or Mermnad dynasty of Lydian kings and reigned from 716 BC to 678 BC . He was succeeded by his son Ardys II.-Allegorical accounts of Gyges' rise to power:...
" or "Gygaean Lake" and "Lake Coloe" or "Lake Koloe."