Ataturk Dam

Ataturk Dam, which has the capacity to meet Istanbul's water needs for one year in as little as five days, is the largest dam in Turkey and Europe. Ataturk Dam, which was started to built in 1983 as part of the Southeast Anatolia Project (GAP), was completely completed and opened to operation in 1992. The dam, which has a height of 169 meters, is not only the largest in Turkey and Europe, but also ranks 6th among dams around the world in terms of the size of the fill volume. Ataturk Dam, which is large enough to provide istanbul's full yearly water needs in five days with an average daily water consumption of over 3 million cubic meters, is also a strong energy producer. The dam and hydroelectric power plant is capable of generating 20 percent of the energy produced at hydropower plants in Turkey alone. Ataturk Dam, one of the symbols of Şanlıurfa, is also of great importance for the cultural tourism of the city. Built for energy production and irrigation, this huge structure is flooded thousands of local and foreign tourists every year, especially in the surrounding cities.