Seyfe Lake: Kırşehir’s Bird Paradise on the Steppe

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1. What is Seyfe Lake?
2. How do you get to Seyfe Lake?
3. When is the best time to visit Seyfe Lake?
4. What is the history of Seyfe Lake?
5. What is Seyfe Lake famous for?
6. What can you do at Seyfe Lake?
7. Frequently asked questions about Seyfe Lake
8. What do the official records say about Seyfe Lake?

What is Seyfe Lake?

Seyfe Lake (Seyfe Gölü) is a shallow, salty lake in the Mucur district of Kırşehir province, surrounded by marshes, reed beds and the open wheat steppe. It is the province’s most important natural area, and the 2002 inventory names it alongside the underground cities and thermal springs as one of the things that make Kırşehir stand out, calling it the “Bird Paradise” (Kuş Cenneti).

The lake is a wetland of international importance under the Ramsar Convention, designated on 13 July 1994. Like other closed steppe lakes in Central Anatolia, it has no outlet, and its size depends heavily on rainfall and groundwater: in wet springs it spreads widely across the plain, and in dry years much of its bed is exposed.

How do you get to Seyfe Lake?

Seyfe Lake lies east of Kırşehir city, in Mucur district, near the village of Seyfe. There is no public transport aimed at visitors, so a car or taxi from Kırşehir or Mucur is needed. The shore is reached on local roads and farm tracks; some can be muddy after rain.

Combine it with the Mucur underground city in the same district. Kırşehir is reached by intercity bus from Ankara, Nevşehir and Kayseri.

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When is the best time to visit Seyfe Lake?

Spring, from April to June, is the best season: the water is at its highest and birds are breeding or passing through on migration. Autumn migration in September and October is the second-best time. In high summer the water can retreat far from the shore and the heat haze makes birdwatching hard. Winter is cold and windy on the open steppe. Early morning and late afternoon give the best light and the most bird activity.

What is the history of Seyfe Lake?

Seyfe is a natural steppe lake in a closed basin on the Kırşehir plateau, with farmland and villages around its shores.

Its value as a bird habitat was recognised in the late 20th century. In 1994 Türkiye listed it under the Ramsar Convention, among the first Turkish wetlands to be designated, and it is managed as a protected area. The question in recent decades has been water: like many lakes on the Anatolian plateau, Seyfe is sensitive to drought and to groundwater use for irrigation in its basin, and its extent varies greatly from year to year.

What is Seyfe Lake famous for?

• Birds. It is the province’s “bird paradise”, with waterbirds that breed, winter or rest here on migration. Flamingos are the species most visitors hope to see.
• Ramsar status. One of Türkiye’s wetlands of international importance since 1994.
• Steppe scenery. White salt flats, reed beds and wide horizons, quite unlike the lakes of the coasts or mountains.

What can you do at Seyfe Lake?

Birdwatching. Bring binoculars or a telescope: the birds are often far out on the water or the mud flats. Stay well back from nesting areas in spring and do not walk onto the salt crust, which can be soft.

Photography. The flat light of the steppe at dawn and dusk, the salt edges and reflections on still days make good landscape photography.

Walking the shore. Farm tracks lead along parts of the shore; walk on established tracks and respect the fields.

Combining with Mucur. The Mucur underground city, which the inventory dates to the 3rd–4th centuries AD, with 42 rooms, corridors, stables and ventilation shafts 7–8 m below ground, makes a good second stop.

Frequently asked questions about Seyfe Lake

What do the official records say about Seyfe Lake?

The province of Kırşehir, which has been the stage of various civilisations for thousands of years, attracts attention not only with its various historic monuments and underground cities, but also with its rich thermal springs and natural beauties such as Seyfe Lake (the Bird Paradise). (Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Kırşehir Provincial Tourism Inventory, 2002)

Main photo: Hajo-Muc, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.