Lake Sapanca

Lake Sapanca lies in north-western Turkey between the Gulf of İzmit and the meadows of Adapazarı. Mountains border it to the south and gentler hills to the north. Only a ninety-minute to two-hour drive from Istanbul, it stretches for 16 kilometres, reaches up to 5 km in width and is as deep as 52 metres. Its water is fresh, and during the height of winter and the rainy season the world’s second-largest submerged forest is said to lie beneath its surface. Sapanca once formed part of a water route between the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara. Today it is a popular leisure destination, with a promenade for walking and cycling and rentals of canoes, pedal boats and yachts. Its proximity to Istanbul also brings environmental pressure: roadside shores are polluted, wastewater from settlements and industry enters the lake, and fish farms place additional strain on the ecosystem. Despite this, Sapanca continues to attract visitors with its natural beauty and tranquillity.

Legend says a city once stood where Lake Sapanca is now, inhabited by people who cared only for wealth. One day, a poor traveller from the mountains asked them for water and was refused. His path led him to a simple hut whose occupants welcomed him generously. When he returned the next morning, the city had vanished beneath water and a lake occupied its place. At times, when the water level falls, a solitary minaret is said to appear on the lakebed as a quiet reminder of the lost world.