Meke Maar

Lake Meke is a volcanic crater lake

composed of two nested lakes located in Konya Province, central Turkey. It is a registered natural monument of the country and a Ramsar site.

Lake Meke is located in Karapınar district of Konya Province. It is 9 km away from Karapınar, and 2 km south of the Konya-Adana highway D.330 E 981.It was formed by the flooding of the crater of an extinct volcano, which took shape about 4 million years ago when the volcano erupted. About 9,000 years ago, a second eruption formed another volcanic cone inside the lake with a maar. Lake Meke now consists of two lakes with various islets. It is 800 m long and 500 m wide with a depth of 12 m. The inner lake inside the 50 m-high volcanic cone is 25 m deep, and contains saline water. The volcanic cone island resisted erosion by the harsh weather conditions due to its massive material, and has retained its form for thousands of years.