Lake Çıldır

Lake Çıldır fills a high basin among the mountains of northeastern Anatolia, near the upper Kura country. This broad freshwater lake lies nearly two thousand meters above sea level and freezes in winter; the surrounding uplands are better suited to grazing than cultivation. An island near its shore preserves traces of ancient settlement. In 1578 the lake gave its name to a battle in which an Ottoman army advancing into the Caucasus defeated Safavid forces, opening the way towards Tbilisi.