Göygöl (lit. 'Blue Lake') is a natural impounded lake in Azerbaijan. It is situated at the footsteps of Murovdag, not far from Ganja in the Goygol District.[2] The lake is 0.78 km2 and is 1553.3 metres above sea level. Its length from south to north is 2800 metres, and its maximum width is 800 metres.[3]
| Göygöl | |
|---|---|
 | |
  Göygöl | |
| Coordinates | 40°24′32.8″N 46°19′26.8″E / 40.409111°N 46.324111°E |
| Type | Landslide dam |
| Basin countries | Azerbaijan |
| Max. length | 2.8 km (1.7 mi) |
| Max. width | 0.8 km (0.50 mi) |
| Surface area | 0.78 km2 (0.30 sq mi)[1] |
| Average depth | 30 m (98 ft) |
| Max. depth | 96 m (315 ft) |
| Surface elevation | 1,553.3 m (5,096 ft) |
History
editDue to an earthquake which hit the area on 25 September 1139, parts of the Kapaz Mount collapsed and blocked the path of the Kürəkçay River.[4] As a result of diversion of water flow, a lake with pure mountain water was created. Hence, the name given, signifying the pureness of the water. The nearby city of Khanlar was renamed after the Göygöl Lake on 25 April 2008. The city founded as Helenendorf by the first German settlers in Azerbaijan in 1819 and with a considerable German minority until 1941 had been renamed to Khanlar in 1938. In 1941, German settlers were relocated by Soviet authorities to Kazakhstan and Central Asia and Siberia on Joseph Stalin's orders.[5]
In 1925, the lake was incorporated into the newly founded "Goy Gol State Reserve" which was superseded as Göygöl National Park in 2008.
General information
editGreater Göygöl area is often split into 19 lakes, 8 of which fall into the large lake category, Maralgol, Zelilgöl, Qaragöl among them. It is situated at 1,556 meters above the sea level.[6] The complete length reaches 6,460 meters. The depth of the lake is 93 meters.[7] Due to the pureness of the water, one can see underwater life clearly 8–10 meters below the surface. The lake fauna is very rich. The Göygöl Trout has evolved from the river trout since the natural creation of the lake. The Göygöl area is known for dry winters and mild to warm summers. Rainfalls range from 600 to 900 mm. There is an Azerbaijani Army corps close to Göygöl.[8] The lake is a major tourist attraction during the spring and summer seasons. In 2009, more than 4500 tourists have visited Goygol. Among the tourists, many are German nationals. In the vicinity of Göygöl, there are settlements once populated by ethnic Germans, many monuments of German culture and an old German Lutheran church built in 1854.[9]
In popular culture
editDue to its beauty, the lake has been an inspiration for many novels, poems and music bands.[10][11]
References
edit- ^ Ministry of Ecology of Azerbaijan: Lakes Archived 17 October 2014 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Большая Советская Энциклопедия: Гейгель
- ^ Заманов, X. Д.; Котлярский, И. А. (1959). "Об озере Гейгель в бассейне р. Шамхорчай" [About Goygol Lake in the Shamkhorchay basin]. Доклады (in Russian). 15 (1). Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences: 153.
- ^ “Погляди на Гейгель, королеву озер”... 24.11.05 Фаик ЗАКИЕВ Archived 22 November 2008 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved on 30 September 2010
- ^ People's Commissar of Internal Affairs of the USSR Order No. 001487 of 11 October 1941, "On the resettlement of persons of German nationality from Azerbaijan, Georgia and Armenia" Orujova, Nigar (28 October 2014). "Rise and fall of Helenendorf". Azer News. Archived from the original on 28 October 2014.
- ^ "The Map of Azerbaijan". Media-az.com. Archived from the original on 5 July 2008. Retrieved 26 April 2008.
- ^ Гейгельский Национальный Парк
- ^ DÖVLƏT TƏBİƏT QORUQLARI: Göy-göl Dövlət Təbiət Qoruğu Archived 26 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ 10.07.2010 First News Retrieved on 30 September 2010
- ^ GÖY GÖL – ƏHMƏD CAVAD
- ^ "Göygöl"ün 40 yaşı qeyd edilib. 30.01.2010 Ayna newspaper. Xatun Archived 8 October 2011 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved on 30 September 2010
