| Lake Van Monster | |
|---|---|
| [[|250px]] N/A | |
| Background | |
| Type | Cryptid |
| Continent | Asia |
| Country | Turkiye |
| One-Time? | Yes |
| Theories | · Cryptid · Plesiosaur · Mosasaur |
The Lake Van Monster, known in Turkish as “Van Gölü Canavarı,” is a cryptid purported to inhabit Lake Van, located in eastern Turkey.
Appearance[]
Eyewitnesses have described the Lake Van Monster as resembling ancient marine reptiles such as plesiosaurs or mosasaurs.
Sighting[]
- In 915 AD. Church's outer walls are covered with stone carving pictures. In one picture a sea monster-like creature can clearly be seen underneath a ship. Majority thinks that this picture is a reference to Lake Van Monster. If this picture is really a reference to Lake Van Monster, that means it is known for more than a thousand years.
- The article was published at a newspaper named Saadet News in Ottoman period year 1889. The article tells about a sighting report of 3 men traveling from Tatvan to Ahlat. Travelers says that they were camping near the lake and they wanted to wash their hands with the water of the lake. While they were washing, a big creature appeared in the water quickly and attacked them. It captured one of three from his leg and tried to pull him into the lake. Other two tried to save their friends but their strength wasn't enough to rescue him because the creature was too strong. So they picked some fire from their camp and attacked with fire to the creature. When fire touched to the creature, it screamed in extremely ear pain and flee to deeps of lake and took the man within him. The man that is captured never to be found.
Possible Explanations[]
There are several explanations as to what the creature could be. Theories include:
- An undiscovered species (a Cryptid)
- A Plesiosaur
- A mosasaur
Trivia[]
- 1990s. Even political figures like former Prime Minister Bülent Ecevit have referenced it in poetry. Various media outlets have featured stories about this cryptid, including television shows like “Animal X” and “Destination Truth.” Additionally, there are artistic representations of the creature; for instance, a statue based on reported sightings stands in honor of the monster in Van.