Description of the attraction
One of the most picturesque places in Larnaca is considered to be a large salt lake located to the west of the city. In fact, this is not just a lake, it is a whole lake system, consisting of four separate reservoirs - Aliki, Orfani, Soros, as well as Spiro, with a total area of more than 5 square meters. km.
According to legend, once upon a time there was a beautiful vineyard on this place. Once Saint Lazarus, the patron saint of Larnaca, passed by him. Seeing the beautiful berries, he asked the hostess for a bunch of grapes. However, the greedy old woman did not want to treat the passer-by and answered the saint that all the grapes were gone. Then he asked what was in her baskets that were on the ground. Without hesitation, the elderly woman said, "Salt." Then Lazarus said: “Salt? So let it be so! " Since then, a lake with salt-salt water has appeared on this place.
As for the official version of the origin of the lake, scientists still cannot come to a consensus on this matter. Some believe that salt gets into the reservoir from the soil saturated with it. Others are sure that the sea water is to blame for everything, which regularly seeps into the lake through underground sources. This version is confirmed by the fact that the chemical composition of sea and lake water is almost the same.
In summer, the water in the lake dries up completely, leaving a huge amount of salt on the surface. But when it is full of water, a huge number of birds flock there, including rare species. In general, about 85 species of birds live on the lake and its shores - the gray crane, black-headed gull, clawed lapwing and, of course, one of the most beautiful birds in the world - pink flamingos.
Today this place is a protected area. Earlier, salt was mined there on an industrial basis, which was even exported to many countries of the world.
