Taken on Sept. 12, 2016, the photo of Lake Van received thousands of votes in the online competition titled "Tournament Earth - Astronaut Photography Edition," where members of the International Space Station (ISS) submitted photos they took from space over the past two decades. 

"We inherited Lake Van from our ancestors, and I believe that we need to preserve this asset for future generations. I hope this competition helps increase awareness about the lake," Van Governor Emin Bilmez said. 

A natural habitat for dozens of species, Lake Van is not immune to the effects of the climate crisis and has observed a concerning drop in water levels in recent years, like many of Turkey's other lakes.

With an area of 3,755 kilometer-squares, Lake Van is a vacation destination for locals as well, with residents of neighboring provinces flocking to the body of water during the summer as well.