Kızören Sinkhole

Kızören Sinkhole, a.k.a. Kızören Obrouk or Lake Kızören is a sinkhole containing a karst lake in Konya Province, central Turkey. Kızören Obruğu is situated in the centre of the Central Anatolian steppes, 65 km northeast of the city of Konya. In Turkish, the word obruk means a vertical depression or shaft in a karst landscape which has been formed via karstification in two directions: downwards and upwards. The term obruk is used to describe the rare karstic lakes which are found exclusively in the district of Konya in Turkey. Kızören Obruğu is 180 m long, 150 m wide and up to 145 m deep. For a long time, it was believed that the lake waters were still, but we now know that the water flows slowly from one lake to the other from underneath. Located at an altitude of 1030 m, Kızören Obruğu is the only source of fresh water for human use in the vicinity. The State Water Institute has installed a pump in the obruk to provide fresh water for the local community. ()