Lake Milh
lake in Iraq
Lake Razzaza (Arabic: البحيرة الرزازة, romanized: Buhairat Al-Razzaza, lit. 'Lake of spray'), also known as Lake Milh (Arabic: بحيرة الملح, romanized: Buhairat Al-Milh, lit. 'Lake of Salt'), is an artificial lake located a few miles west of Karbala, Iraq (32°41′N 43°40′E). The lake is located in a depression into which excess water from Lake Habbaniyah, which comes from the Euphrates River, is diverted through a controlled escape channel or canal. The lake is listed as a wetland of international importance. The lake is rather shallow and the water level changes seasonally. Due to its salt content and changing water level, this largest freshwater lake in Iraq has lost its important stock of fish species and only a few recreational areas exist around the lake.
Geography
The lake, also termed the Karbala Gap, covers an area of 156,234 hectares (386,060 acres) enclosed by deserts with a few low hills on the shoreline. The lake and its surrounding area lie in an elevation range of 28 to 56 metres (92 to 184 ft). It is a deep closed lake in a sand and silt basin. The western part of the valley surrounding the lake has thick forest cover, as well as orchards. In the eastern and southern surroundings, the terrain is flat desert and semi-desert.
The public source identifies “Lake Milh” as lake in Iraq. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Lake, Milh and lake.
Why this record matters
A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “Lake Milh”, the useful work is to connect “lake in Iraq” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.
Maps, plans, fabric surveys and administrative records can establish how the site’s name, extent and function changed over time. The source revision retrieved here is dated Jul 26, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q2007652. Authority coordinates are 32.768, 43.606. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank.
A single description cannot reconcile every naming convention, rebuilding phase or administrative transfer associated with a place. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.
- Historic place names
- Jurisdictional context
- Routes into maps and plans
Contemporary maps, plans, listed-building records, estate papers and the responsible local or national archive.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Lake Milh”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Lake Milh primary sources, Lake Milh archive and Lake research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Lake Milh”?
- Which earlier names or jurisdictions may reveal additional records?
- What physical evidence or contemporary plan supports the description?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Lake Milh” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.