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{{Short description|Lake monster said to live in eastern Turkey}}
{{Infobox mythical creature
|name = Lake Van Monster
|image =
|caption =
|Grouping = [[Cryptid]]
|Sub_Grouping = [[Lake monster]]
|AKA = Վանա լճի հրեշ, Van Gölü Canavarı, Lawirê Behra Wanê,
|Region = [[Lake Van]], [[Van, Turkey|Van]]
|First_Attested =
}}
In [[Armenian folklore]], the '''Lake Van Monster''' ({{langx|tr|Van Gölü Canavarı}}, {{langx|hy|Վանա լճի հրեշ|translit=Vana lchi hresh}}, {{langx|ku|Cinawirê Gola Wanê}}) is a [[lake monster]] said to live in [[Lake Van]] in eastern [[Turkey]].

==History==
The Armenian chroniclers [[Movses Khorenatsi]] and [[Anania Shirakatsi]] wrote about [[vishap]]s (water dragons in [[Armenian mythology]]) living in Lake Van. According to the legend, the god [[Vahagn]], the ''vishapakagh'' ("reaper of vishaps"), would plunge into Lake Van to drag out any vishap that had grown large enough to devour the world. Scholar [[James R. Russell|James Russell]] considers that this legend is an Armenian adoption of [[Urartu|Urartian]] myths concerning the combat of the god [[Teisheba]] with the water monster [[Illuyanka|Ullikummi]]. Russell writes that into the modern period, the Armenians of the Van basin would refer to the sudden storms that arise on the lake as ''vishap kami'' (վիշապ քամի, dragon wind).<ref>James Russell, "Van and the Persistence of Memory", pp. 45–48, in "Armenian Van/Vaspurakan", ed. Richard G. Hovannisian, 2000.</ref>

A story in the [[Ottoman Empire|Ottoman]] newspaper ''Saadet'' of April 29, 1889, recounted that a creature had dragged a man into lake Van. Following reports of the incident, the Ottoman government sent an official scientific survey group to the lake who failed to spot the creature.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.milliyet.com.tr/-van-golu-canavari-121-yil-once-manset-olmus/gundem/gundemdetay/06.10.2010/1298106/default.htm|title=Van Gölü Canavarı, 121 yıl önce manşet olmuş|date=6 October 2010|accessdate=2 May 2015|language=tr}}</ref>
[[File:Akhtamar Island on Lake Van with the Armenian Cathedral of the Holy Cross.jpg|upright=1.2|thumb|alt=refer to caption|[[Akhtamar Island]], Lake Van]]

Russell discounts a connection between their belief about lake vishaps and the 1990s sightings of a lake creature, considering that any folk beliefs amongst the Kurdish population are likely to be affected more by stories about lake monsters in popular Western culture than any surviving Armenian traditions. He also recounts that Kurds he met in Van in 1994 and 1997 considered the lake monster story to be a "commercial ploy and a farce".<ref>James Russell, "Van and the Persistence of Memory", p. 47 footnote 4, in "Armenian Van/Vaspurakan", ed. Richard G. Hovannisian, 2000.</ref>

In 1997 a local man called Ünal Kozak claimed to have captured the monster on video which was sent for analysis. Academic [[Mustafa Y. Nutku]] has written a book about the creature, together with Kozak.<ref name="NutkuKozak1996">{{cite book|author1=Mustafa Y. Nutku|author2=Ünal Kozak|title=Van Gölü canavarı|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=59s6AAAACAAJ|year=1996|publisher=[[Yüzüncü Yıl University Matbaası]] |isbn=978-975-94853-0-6}}</ref>

Kozak's video is under constant criticism,{{citation needed|date=May 2015}} with questions like why it never pans left, possibly because of a boat that may have carried the creature. Or why the monster only goes straight, instead of curving through the water. Even criticism as to why the breathing is not in and out, but a continuous release, much like the effects of an air hose.

A 4-meter high statue based on reported sightings has been erected to its honor in [[Van, Turkey]].

Skeptics point out that the region would benefit from tourist revenue and a [[hoax]] might attract visitors.<ref name="LVm">{{cite news | author=RJ | title=Sea monster or monster hoax?|date=June 12, 1997| work=CNN Interactive - World News | url=http://www.cnn.com/WORLD/9706/12/fringe/turkey.monster/ | accessdate=2006-05-01}}</ref>

==Cultural impact==
The former Prime Minister of Turkey and poet [[Bülent Ecevit]] wrote a poem titled "Van Gölü Canavarı" (Lake Van Monster).<ref name="ValilikMerkezi2007">{{cite book|author1=Van (Turkey). Valilik|author2=Bitlis Kültür Merkezi|author3=Bitlis Valiliği İl Kültür ve Turizm Müdürlüğü|others=Bitlis (Turkey). Valilik, İstanbul Üniversitesi Avrasya Arkeolojisi Enstitüsü, Atatürk Üniversitesi, Van Yüzüncü Yıl Üniversitesi, Çevre ve Kültür Değerlerini Koruma ve Tanıtma Vakfı|title=II. Van Gölü havzası sempozyumu|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ws0tAQAAIAAJ|year=2007|publisher=Van Valiliği|isbn=978-975-585-853-1}}</ref>

The Lake Van Monster appears in ''[[The Secret Saturdays]]'' episode "The Unblinking Eye". This version resembles a [[Mosasaurus]]-like creature.

''[[Animal X (TV series)|Animal X]]'' (an Australian television show) season 1, episode #3 features the Van Lake Monster.

Josh Gates and his team search for the Van Lake monster on ''[[Destination Truth]]''. Season 3, episode 305 "Alien Mummies/Van Lake Monster".<ref>{{cite news|author=rob|title=Lake Van Monster|url=http://www.makli.com/lake-van-monster-009108/|work=Makli|date=October 8, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091212201115/http://www.makli.com/lake-van-monster-009108/|archive-date=December 12, 2009}}</ref>

Footage claimed to be of the cryptid was shown on the TV Series ''Paranormal Caught on Camera''.

==See also==
{{portal|Lakes|Turkey}}
*[[Loch Ness Monster]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Van, Turkey]]
[[Category:Bitlis]]
[[Category:Turkic legendary creatures]]
[[Category:Culture of Turkey]]
[[Category:Lake monsters]]

Lake Van Monster - Revision history

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