Lake Sevan is the largest lake in Armenia and one of the largest high-altitude lakes in the world. With Lake Van and Lake Urmia, Sevan was one of the three great lakes of the historical Armenian Kingdom, collectively referred to as the Seas of Armenia, and it is the only one within the boundaries of today's Republic of Armenia. Before human intervention dramatically changed this ecosystem, the lake was 95 m deep and covered an area of 1,360 square km (5% of Armenia's entire surface). Lake Sevan (Armenian: Սևանա լիճ) is the largest lake in Armenia and one of the largest high-altitude lakes in the world. Former names of the lake include Gegharkunik (Armenian: Գեղարքունիք), Gegham Sea (Armenian: Գեղամա ծով), Lychnitis (Greek and Latin) and Gokcha (Turkish for Blue Lake).Lake Sevan is situated in the central part of the Republic of Armenia, inside the Gegharkunik Province, at the altitude of 1900m above sea level. The total surface area of its basin is about 5000 km2, the lake itself is 1200 sq. m, and the volume is 34.0 bln cubic meters. It is fed by 28 rivers and streams. Only 10% of the outgoing water is drained by the Hrazdan (Razdan) river, while the remaining 90% evaporates. Before human intervention dramatically changed this ecosystem the lake was 95 metres deep, covered an area of 1,360 km² (5% of Armenia's entire area), had a volume of 58 km³ and a perimeter of 260 km. The lake surface was at an altitude of 1,950 m above sea level. Along with Lake Van and Lake Urmia, Sevan was one of the three great lakes of the historical Armenian Kingdom, collectively referred to as the Seas of Armenia; it is the only one within the boundaries of today's Republic of Armenia. Sevanavank peninsula (formerly an island) is the historic area of the lake at its northern shores.
Lake Sevan is in Gegharkunik, one of the most spectacular regions in Armenia, its stunning landscape shaped by millions of years of volcanic eruptions and the once steaming waters of the lake, now cooled to a brisk 18°C at the beach. The lake (also called Gegharkunik through much of its history) is a stunning body of water, and in spite of the ecological risks it faces through mismanagement, uncontrolled tourism and local’s notorious penchant to litter everything in their reach, it never fails to impress with its unpredictable moods, reflected in its jet-black to aquamarine colors. Sevan is Armenia’s largest lake and a summer magnet for thousands of locals who bask on its manmade beaches and party in one of its booming resorts. If Armenia has anything like a Mediterranean character, Gegharkunik is where you’ll find it, with friendly beach combers looking for that perfect sand, ski jet, and bikini. And Sevan is the recreation spot in Armenia, for locals and tourists alike. Over 160 beach resorts, from the humblest beach front with a few domiks (metal huts) and camping spots to the most pretentious hotels in Armenia angle for trade and on a July or August weekend night they are almost all full. The hub of all this summer fun is the Sevan peninsula, with an 8th c monastery overlooking the beach-partying crowd, who revel in the water by day (sailing, skiing, paragliding, water boarding, jet skiing) and party onshore at night (disco). Local inhabitants take all this in stride, eking out their livelihood serving the beach combers (selling hot chestnuts, grilled corn and fish) or tilling the upper plots of farmland. And there are rewards for those willing to look a little deeper and climb a little higher, with villagers welcoming the wayward soul into their homes and hearts, for a little tea and sweets and plenty of local lore. Don’t let the beach revelers fool you; this is a hard-knock existence, villagers are snow-bound four months of the year. And precious few tourists bother to go beyond the next khorovats stand or beach party bingo. Locals are impressed by those who bother to look into their side of the world and take particular pride in whatever they have, be it an Urartian fortress or a medieval monastery.
This huge mountain lake which takes up 5% of Armenia's surface area and is about 2,000 meters above sea level. On a clear and sunny day, the water is often a deep turquoise color. Maxim Gorky once said about the waters that they were like a piece of the sky that had descended to the earth among the mountains. The shores are white sand and most beaches are uncrowded. The monastery peninsula (called the island in Armenian) is the most popular spot, and is the closest place to visit as well. The water is about 18-22 Celsius in the summer, a very refreshing swim after a hot week in Yerevan. It is a freshwater lake, so you do not have any salt residue after swimming. There are fish in the lake, however there has been a ban on commercial fishing (without authorization) in recent years. For this reason, it is not uncommon to see men standing along the main road signaling cars by hand the supposed length of the fish they sell. To put these fish on display would mean calling the attention of unwanted authorities.
Locals have told visitors that the name Sevan comes from many centuries ago during a cold winter when one of the frequent invasions by Arabs was imminent. The villagers warned one another and proceeded across the ice of Sevan to the (then) island on which Sevanavank was located. Once everyone was across they barracaded themselves in the church and prayed that their lives be spared. As the Arabs approached the ice they too crossed, but once they were well on their way across it, the ice gave and the invaders drown in the icy waters. The villagers viewed this as an act of God, sparing them from sure death. The lake was black with bodies of the dead soldiers so they named it Sevan (Sev meaning "black" in Armenian). lake in Armenia, with an area of 525 sq mi (1,360 sq km). Lying at 6,250 ft (1,905 m) above sea level in a mountain-enclosed basin, it drains by the Hrazdan River into the Aras River and to the Caspian Sea, but most of its water is lost by evaporation rather than by runoff. The lake is in two connected parts, the smaller but deeper Maly Sevan (northwest), with a maximum depth of 282 ft, and the Bolshoy Sevan (southeast), reaching 131 ft in depth. The construction of six hydroelectric plants on the Hrazdan led to a fall of the lake level. To stabilize its level, a 30 mi (49 km) tunnel to divert water from the Arpa River was constructed in the late 1970s. Lake Sevan is rich in fish, especially trout, and fishing is important. Several ancient Armenian churches lie along the shores. Lake Sevan, one of the best leisure destinations in Armenia, is changing every day, with new hotels and motels appearing everywhere on the shores of the lake. Lake Sevan is very beautiful with its clean and fresh water, which is warm and pleasant in summer. It's an ideal place for rest with family during week-ends and holidays. We can make reservations at discounted rates in Tsapatagh Hotel belonging to Tufenkian Hotel chain and Harsnaqar Hotel Complex. Now contracts are being signed with other hotels too located near Lake Sevan.
Enjoy your holidays!
