The Swimming Islands of Bingöl
/ By Josh
A large pond in the Heart of Bingöl province with islands that blow around in the breeze.
Meaning 1000 lakes, the surprisingly lake-lacking province of Bingöl is something of an oddity. Despite being set in one of the world’s richest historical regions just north of the fertile crescent, nothing worthy of mention seems to have remained from ancient times and because of this there is not one obvious reason to visit.
What Bingöl may lack in history it makes up for in an incredible richness of culture and natural beauty. While the Lingua Franca may be Turkish each region has its own flavor with nearly all locals speaking Kurdish or Zaza as a mother tongue. Expressions of religion also differ, sometimes even from village to neighboring village. The southern mountains are red, dusty, rugged, and vast with scattered villages along picturesque creeks and springs while the plains in the north are gold with grasses. In the spring, when creeks become swollen rivers, the region is particularly stunning with waterfalls everywhere and a short-lived lushness in what is usually a dry region.
