The lake is called "Qura Ku", and it branches from the Rania River (Little Zab) in the Sulaymaniyah Governorate in northeastern Iraq. The lake has rare species of endangered turtles, in addition to containing large amounts of sulfur and rare algae.
It is located within the city's ancient archaeological areas, and is characterized by the emission of an egg-like smell. Many people with skin diseases, allergies, resort to the lake to treat themselves because they believe that high levels of sulfur will heal them.