In recent years, lake monsters have been talked about more and more often. If a couple of decades ago, reports of something like this came only from the shores of the famous Scottish Loch Ness, now it turned out that freshwater monsters, similar to plesiosaurs and ichthyosaurs, live in Canada, Norway, and Russia. and in China. Such messages come from Turkey too.
Soda lake
Lake Van is located in the east of Turkey, in the Armenian Highlands, near the border with Iran. It is so large in size that the locals call it the Van Sea. Indeed, among the lakes of the Middle East, it is second only to the Iranian Lake Urmia in size and at the same time is the world's largest soda lake.
The width of Lake Van reaches 119 kilometers, the surface area is 3754 square kilometers, and the surface height above sea level is 1648 meters. At the same time, unlike Urmia, it is also deep-water, the average depths are about 160-170 meters, the largest reaches 451 meters.
On Sundays, locals arrange laundry in the lake without using soap or detergent. The water here is six times saltier than sea water and, most importantly, contains soda in very large quantities. Once you bathe, you will become clean, as if you were using the best soap. It is not for nothing that local manufacturers obtain detergents by evaporating salts from water.
These salts in their composition are somewhat reminiscent of the healing salts of the much more famous Israeli Dead Sea in the world. Lake Van water can also be treated. Local old people successfully use it to get rid of arthritis and rheumatism. At the same time, the concentration of salts is still not so high. Although the water from Lake Van cannot be drunk, fish are found in it, including the unique pearl mullet that is not found anywhere else in the world.
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The lake is surrounded by mountains, including the extinct volcanoes Nemrud and Syupkhan nearby. The mountains protect the lake from cold winds, and its waters, in turn, soften the climate, which allows growing flowers and amazing-tasting fruits on its shores. However, there is not a single pasture on the shores of the lake - because water for drinking is not suitable for ungulates either.
But outlandish cats live on the lake. Almost the only ones in the world who love and know how to swim and fish. They are called that - Turkish van. If you're lucky, the lucky ones can watch in the early morning how purrs make real swims. Each such cat is highly valued and protected by law; their export from Turkey is possible only with an official permission.
It is believed that these cats are marked with the blessing of Allah. This is indicated by specific stripes on the muzzle, from the nose to the front edge of the ear, and the eyes of different colors: one is green, the other is blue. So it is no coincidence that when entering the city of Van, guests are greeted by two huge statues of white cats of this outlandish breed.
Terrible vishaps
Recently, however, the lake is almost most often mentioned in connection with the local lake monster, somewhat reminiscent of the famous Nessie.
There are ancient Armenian legends that the "Van monster" lives in the lake. Even the Armenian chroniclers Movses Khorenatsi and Anania Shirakatsi wrote about the vishaps living in the lake. These monsters were so great that they supposedly could swallow the entire inhabited world.
However, for almost the entire 20th century, due to the political situation in the region, no one cared about the monster, and he calmly swam in the reservoir, only occasionally showing himself to the eyes of the locals. But in the 1990s, strange creatures began to be remembered more often.
“Early in the morning we stood on the deck of the ferry, waiting for the end of loading. Suddenly, on the water surface, a rapidly floating object of dark color appeared. I have been working on this ferry for almost 20 years and have heard many times about the monster living in the depths of the lake, but did not believe in its existence. And on that day something terrible appeared before my eyes …"
Such stories increasingly began to appear in the pages of the Turkish press. Eyewitnesses, as a rule, speak of a creature "of a dirty gray color, about 20 meters long, with a head covered with hair and a row of ridges on its back." It floats to the surface mainly early in the morning and after a few minutes it hides under water again.
Residents of the surrounding villages report that the monster is curious: it periodically raises its head on a long neck above the water and turns it, as if observing the surroundings.
Scientists are skeptical. Thus, Erkut Kiwanch, Doctor of Biology of Ankara University, in an interview with the newspaper "Hurriyet" said:
- Large creatures cannot live in a lake where the water is rich in soda and there are practically no algae and fish. Serious discussion of this problem is possible only if clear photographs are obtained.
However, some cryptozoologists hold a different opinion. At one time, Jacques-Yves Cousteau himself, the famous explorer of the ocean, far from inclined to believe in all sorts of miracles, showed interest in the mysterious inhabitant of Lake Van. Unfortunately, at the end of June 1997, death prevented him from making an alleged trip to the lake.
Monster on videotape
On June 12, 1997, the Van Lake monster was first captured on videotape. On that day, 26-year-old teacher of the local university Unal Kozak was lucky. The shooting of the lake monster lasted only a few seconds. In the video, you can see a black-brown object with a hump, from the side of which you can see an eye. Kozak claims that the creature was over 20 meters long!
In total, the young researcher witnessed the appearance of the monster from the water three times and collected about a thousand eyewitness accounts. After examining the photographs taken by Kozak, scientists have confirmed their authenticity. For some time at the University of Wang, an operational headquarters even worked to collect messages about meetings with the monster and its search. The lake was visited by Japanese filmmakers.
Now a group of Turkish specialists is working there, who have the appropriate equipment. A representative delegation of cryptozoologists from Great Britain is going to come to their aid.
Needless to say about amateurs with photo and video equipment, who set up tents on the shores of Lake Van in the hope that they will be lucky enough to photograph a mysterious creature? Local residents and foreign tourists now refrain from swimming in the lake for health.
Meanwhile, Turkish media reported about another natural wonder that has appeared in Gel Lake. According to those who saw the monster, it is simply terrible. The creepy hairy monster has caught the attention of even members of the Turkish parliament. According to press reports, this happened after the emerging monster was seen by the provincial governor, who was vacationing with his family on the shores of Lake Gol.
Prior to that, no one paid attention to the testimonies of local residents who repeatedly saw the monster. Now a special commission will deal with the "Gyolui ichthyosaur". And the reservoir, like Lake Van, may become a place of pilgrimage for sensation lovers from all over the world.
Pavel BUKIN