Lake Urmia: The Great Salt Lake
- Jamal Latif
- 8 hours ago
- 4 min read
Introduction
Lake Urmia is one of the largest lakes in the Near East — a vast, shallow salt lake spread across the plains of north-western Iran, beside the Kurdish highlands of Rojhelat. For ages its shimmering, mineral-rich waters, dotted with rocky islands and fringed with salt flats, have been a defining feature of the region, famous for the rose-red colour the lake can turn and for the city of Urmia that bears its name. In recent times it has also become a symbol of ecological struggle, as the great lake has shrunk dramatically.
A shining inland sea between the mountains and the plain, Lake Urmia is a wonder under threat. This profile looks at the lake, its nature, and its fate.
Key Takeaways
• Lake Urmia is a vast salt lake in north-western Iran, beside the Kurdish highlands.
• It was once one of the largest lakes in the Middle East.
• Its salty, mineral-rich water can turn a striking red colour.
• It is dotted with many rocky islands and surrounded by salt flats.
• The lake has shrunk dramatically in recent decades, a major ecological concern.
Quick Facts
Name: Lake Urmia
Type: Salt lake
Country / Region: Iran (Rojhelat borderland)
Near: Urmia and the Kurdish highlands
Water: Salty and mineral-rich
Features: Many islands and salt flats
Distinction: Once among the largest in the region
Concern: Severe shrinking in recent decades
Contents
Where Is Lake Urmia?
Lake Urmia lies in the plains of north-western Iran, taking its name from the nearby city of Urmia, on the edge of the Kurdish-populated country of Rojhelat that reaches south toward Mahabad and the border highlands around Piranshahr. The lake sits in a great closed basin ringed by mountains, gathering the waters of many rivers that flow down from the surrounding ranges but have no outlet to the sea.
A Great Salt Lake
Because Lake Urmia has no outlet, the waters that flow into it can only leave by evaporation, leaving their minerals behind. Over the ages this has made the lake intensely salty — saltier even than the open ocean — and surrounded it with broad white flats of crusted salt. Once the lake stretched for thousands of square kilometres, a shallow sea so large it moderated the climate of the whole region, and its brine has long been valued for the minerals and the reputed healing properties of its mud.
Islands and Red Waters
The lake is studded with many islands, rocky outcrops rising from the shallow water that have served as refuges for wildlife and, in the past, as places of legend and burial. In the warmer months, as the water grows more concentrated, tiny organisms and algae that thrive in the brine can tint the whole lake a startling shade of pink or blood-red — a phenomenon that has made Lake Urmia famous in photographs around the world. The lake has also been a vital haven for flamingos and other migrating birds.
A Lake in Danger
In recent decades Lake Urmia has suffered a dramatic decline. Drought, the damming of the rivers that feed it, and the heavy drawing of water for farming caused the lake to shrink alarmingly, until vast stretches of its bed lay exposed as bare salt, threatening the wildlife, the climate, and the health of the people around it with storms of windblown salt. The plight of the lake became a major environmental cause, and efforts have since been made to bring water back and revive it, with the lake’s level recovering and falling again with the seasons and the rains.
Lake Urmia Today
Today Lake Urmia remains a place of stark beauty and deep concern — a great salt lake still ringed by its islands and flats, its fortunes rising and falling with the struggle to save it. For the peoples of the surrounding region, including the Kurds of the nearby highlands, the lake is a cherished landmark and a powerful reminder of the fragile balance between people and the waters of the land. Its fate is watched closely as a measure of the region’s environmental future.
Timeline
ancient times — The great salt lake is a defining feature of the north-western plains.
20th century — Lake Urmia is one of the largest lakes in the Middle East.
2000s–2010s — Drought and water use cause the lake to shrink dramatically.
recent years — Restoration efforts seek to bring water back to the lake.
today — Lake Urmia endures as a fragile natural wonder under careful watch.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Lake Urmia?
Lake Urmia is in the plains of north-western Iran, near the city of Urmia, on the edge of the Kurdish highlands of Rojhelat.
Why is Lake Urmia salty?
The lake has no outlet to the sea, so water leaves only by evaporation, leaving minerals behind and making it intensely salty, with broad salt flats around it.
Why does Lake Urmia turn red?
In warm months, salt-loving organisms and algae multiply in the concentrated brine, tinting the water a striking pink or red colour.
Why has Lake Urmia shrunk?
Drought, dams on its feeder rivers, and heavy water use for farming caused a dramatic decline, exposing much of its bed; restoration efforts have since sought to revive it.
Related People, Places, and Topics
The city of Urmia · salt lakes · the highlands of Rojhelat · Urmia · Mahabad · Piranshahr.
References and Further Reading
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