"Konya Was Once a Sea” Legend Gains Scientific Backing

For generations, locals in Konya have passed down the saying "Konya was once a sea.” Recent research suggests this legend is not just folklore but rooted in geological and archaeological evidence.

According to studies, before and during the early Holocene epoch, much of the Konya Plain was covered by glaciers. With the onset of global warming, these ice masses melted and transformed the region into a vast water basin. Between roughly 10,000 and 8,000 BCE, the area was inundated, forming what is now called the "Great Konya Lake" (Eski Konya Gölü). 

Estimates indicate that during its high phase the lake had an average depth of 15-20 meters. Many early settlements including Boncuklu Höyük and Çatalhöyük were established along its shores. These communities benefited from aquatic resources, such as fish and reeds, and from fertile soils created in the transitional zones between water and land.

Over time, climate change and increasing aridity caused the waters to recede. Evaporation gradually transformed the lake into today's Konya Plain. Yet traces of the former lake remain: the Hotamış marsh and its surroundings are among the present-day remnants of the ancient water body. In the past century, the plain contained many ponds, and even the Aslım area near the city center was once a vast swamp.

However, the narrative has taken an ironic turn: due to overuse of groundwater and increasing aridity, the Konya Plain now faces a risk of desertification. What was once a grand lake is now threatened by water depletion and ecological degradation.