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The Atatürk Dam (Atatürk Barajı) is situated on the road between the cities of Adıyaman and Urfa in Southeastern Anatolia. It’s the third largest dam in the world (as of October 2024).
Introduction to the Atatürk Dam
The dam was built on the Euphrates River between 1983 and 1990 as the Karababa Dam (Karababa Barajı) to generate electricity and irrigate the region. It went into service in 1992 and was renamed in honor of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk (1881-1938), the founder of the Turkish Republic.
The dam is 169 meters (554 feet) high and 1,820 meters (5,970 feet) long. The hydroelectric power plant has a total power capacity of 2,400 MW and generates 8,900 GW·h electricity annually. It’s operated by State Hydraulic Works (Devlet Su İşleri), or DSİ.
Atatürk Reservoir
The dam created the Atatürk Reservoir (Atatürk Baraj Gölü), which is the third largest lake in Turkey. It covers an area of 817 square kilometers (315 square miles) and has submerged a handful of important archaeological sites. Today, it provides recreational opportunities and hosts several fisheries.
Water from the reservoir irrigates 4,760 square kilometers (1,840 square miles) of land using two parallel tunnels. They measure 26.4 kilometers (16.4 miles) in length and 7.62 meters (25 feet) in diameter, making them the largest in the world in terms of length and flow rate. The first tunnel was completed in 1995 and the second tunnel in 1996. 90% of the irrigated fields are planted with cotton.
Observation Point
It’s possible to view the impressive project from an observation point just off the highway. Facilities include a full-service café and snack shop. There’s also a memorial to the workers killed while building the dam.
