(Ἄτταια), near which there was a town called Botieum, and which is probably the same as Lake Tatta. Pre-history Pre-historical Lake Tatta was originally a much larger freshwater lake with numerous rivers flowing in and out of it, that dominated the Central Anatolian interior. Lush with vegetation, the region sprung up some of the earliest known civilizations including the Hittites and Anatolian people. After the last Ice age between 11,000 and 5,000 years ago, the Central Anatolian steppe began to gradually transform into its current form. Flora and fauna In 2001, Lake Tuz was declared a specially protected area, including all of the lake surface and surrounding waterbeds and some of the important neighboring steppe areas. The main Turkish breeding colony of greater flamingo (Phoenicopterus roseus) is present on a group of islands in the southern part of the lake. Greater white-fronted goose (Anser albifrons) is the second largest breeder here. Lesser kestrel (Falco naumanni) is a common breeder in surrounding villages. Gallery See also List of lakes of Turkey Lake Tuz Facility Lake Tuz Natural Gas Storage References External links Tuz Tuz, Lake Central Anatolia Region World Heritage Tentative List for Turkey Landforms of Aksaray Province Important Bird Areas of Turkey