Dukan Lake
There are many bodies of water in the Republic of Iraq, but the most famous is the lake known as (Lake Dokan), located in the northern part of the country, specifically in the Sulaymaniyah Governorate. This lake is considered one of the relatively large bodies of water within the region located in the Kurdistan region, and it is located at the famous dam called (Dokan Dam), located near the town that bears the name of the dam (Dokan) and the city of (Rania).
Nature of Dukan Lake
The nature that characterizes this lake, in everything that surrounds it, especially the many mountains overlooking it, including the Sultan and Sara mountains, in addition to the presence of lush green forests, gave it a position that distinguishes it with breath-taking views. Therefore, it was considered a huge tourist complex and an important resort in the country. Region; This lake, along with the dam that was built on it, which was built as part of multiple projects that exceeded sixteen projects, is only about 70 kilometers from Sulaymaniyah. Therefore, we find there many hotels, as well as restaurants, cabins, and many tourist facilities, especially on the banks of (Qashquli), which It is adjacent to the town of Dukan, and works to attract tourists from inside and outside Iraq.
A large dam was built on this lake, in order to generate electrical energy, which today covers the entire area. The completion of the construction of this dam dates back to 1959 AD. It took five years to build; It was built during the reign of the then King of Iraq, King Faisal II, and it should be noted that the cost of this construction exceeded fourteen million Iraqi dinars at the time, and Dokan Lake stores approximately 6.8 billion cubic meters of water.
Read also:Where does the Jordan River originate from?The area of Dokan Lake is approximately 270 square kilometers, and it is a lake in which rainwater collects. It reaches 11.700 square kilometers, and the source of water flow into and out of the lake is the Little Zab River, which branches off from the Dokan Dam located on the lake, the Lower Zab River, and thus the lake’s water is fresh in addition to the Zab.
Many archaeological sites were found near the lake, which made the lake area a tourist place par excellence, as several caves were found dating back to ancient humans from the Stone Age, the most famous of which is the (Zarzi) cave, and a famous archaeological sculpture known as (Qazqaban) was also found. ). It should be noted that the general climate of this lake is moderate, and therefore we find that it enjoys a semi-permanent spring season, with a magical nature that does not change or change.
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