Violet Lake in northern Iraq home to creatures about to extinct

A water lake in the Kurdistan region of Iraq astonishes people because the watercolor changes to several colors, such as violet, white and pink, as temperature changes.

Rare species of turtles threatened with extinction live in the lake that contains large quantities of sulfur and rare algae.

This environment prompted some people to use the lake to treat skin diseases such as allergies.

The lake, which is called ‘Qura Ku,’ branches from the Little Zab River in Sulaymaniyah governorate in northeastern Iraq.

The depth of the lake reaches about 27 meters, while its width is about 370 meters.

Archaeologists estimate the age of the lake to be about 5,000 years and say it was formed because of natural and environmental factors.

The lake is located within ancient archaeological areas of Sulaymaniyah and is characterized by the emission of an odor resembling the smell of eggs.

A team of German scientists discovered that the lake is home to rare species of animals on the verge of extinction, such as some types of turtles, as well as very small fish and worms that are not found in other lakes.