For several days, Iraqis have been praying for mercy Lake Sawalocated deep in the arid desert, which was nicknamed the Pearl of Iraq.
That lake, whose pictures have recently spread on the communication sites, is dry, and has become an impact after an eye, which angered the people of Al-Muthanna Governorate in the south of the country, as it is considered its most important geographical and touristic feature.
high salinity
Sawa is characterized by a high rate of salinity compared to the rest of the lakes and rivers in the country, where this percentage is 1500 per million, which is one and a half times higher than the salinity of the waters of the Arabian Gulf.
The depth of its water ranged from four to five meters, while the color of the water varied from dark green (near the banks) to blue.
Lake Sawa in Iraq (AFP)
Although its level fluctuated according to the seasons of drought and humidity, it was never depleted or dried up, due to the balance between the amount of groundwater added and rain, and that evaporated.
In addition, its distinctive shape (pear-shaped when viewed from above) makes it a tourist attraction and a center for summer in the country.
Lake Sawa in Iraq (AFP)
Healing water and blind fish
This lake has also been known for a long time as a cure for skin diseases due to the chemical composition of its water, which contains a lot of sulfur.
Just as its strange waters, and its strange hedge-stones, there is nothing less strange about them.
In all the waters of the world live fish suitable for fishing or eating except in Lake Sawa, the fish are blind, and the beholder can see their skeleton through its transparent skin.
Perhaps the strangest thing is that as soon as it comes out of the water and exposed to the sun, it melts in the palm, because it contains high amounts of grease.
Lake Sawa in Iraq (AFP)
Lake drying up
Commenting on the desertification of the lake, the director of the environment of Al-Muthanna Governorate, Engineer Youssef Sawadi, explained to Al-Arabiya Net, that there are 3 main factors behind this, including natural and human.
He added that the climate change that affected the world has affected Iraq significantly, in addition to the change of seismic plates that changed the natural course of underground water.
Lake Sawa in Iraq (AFP)
Tigris and Euphrates scarcity
As for the human causes, according to Sawadi, farmers and owners of factories and factories have built dozens of artesian wells that have overused the groundwater, which has contributed to a very large drop in the quantities that reach it.
In turn, the expert on borders and international waters, Jamal Al-Halbousi, indicated to Al-Arabiya Net that one of the reasons is due to the scarcity of water in the basins of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers due to Turkey cutting them off, as it owns six basins, while Iraq has only two.
Lake Sawa in Iraq (AFP)
For all these reasons, then, this jewel of Iraq has been extinguished, as this lake no longer receives the visits it deserves at the present time, even though it is one of the oldest lakes mentioned in history books.
It is reported that the word Sawa means old man, and it is taken from the Aramaic word sworth.