Lake Sevan

Sevan, Gokcha, Gogcha [Turk. "Blue Water"] (Armenian: Lake Sevan), in Georgian sources Gelakun — a lake in Armenia. The largest in the Caucasus. Area — 1200 km². Average depth — 28.5 m, maximum — 83 meters.

It is located in the volcanic mountains of the Transcaucasus, at an altitude of about 1900 m. The lake is bordered by the Bambak Range to the northwest, the Shahdag Range to the northeast, and the Gegham and Vardenis Ranges to the west and south. Lake Sevan occupies the central part of an intermountain tectonic basin. It is divided by two opposing capes into Small Sevan (northwest) and Big Sevan (southeast). On a rocky island in Small Sevan, which turned into a peninsula after the lake level dropped, there is an architectural monument of the 9th century - the Sevan Monastery. 28 small rivers flow into Lake Sevan. The Razdan River flows out.

The main source of water for the lake is surface runoff (727 million m³ per year). The water temperature on the surface in July-August is 17-19 °C, in January-February - 1.5-1.8 °C. In severe frosty winters, the lake freezes completely. It is rich in fish. The water of the lake and the Razdan River are used for the cascade of the Sevan hydroelectric power station. The Arpa-Sevan culverts have been laid, through which the water of the Arpa River enters Sevan. On the shores of Lake Sevan is Sevan, a natural national park.

In Georgian sources it is mostly known as Gelakuni Lake, Gelakuni Sea, and Gogcha. It is also mentioned in fiction, for example, in Aleksandre Chavchavadze's poem "Gogcha"