Lake Urmia (a Syriac name meaning city of water), is the third largest salt lake on earth located in northwestern Iran.
The lake’s salts are considered to have medical effects, especially as a cure for rheumatism. The main cations in the lake water include Na+, K+, Ca2+, Li+ and Mg2+, while Cl–, SO42–, HCO3– are the main anions. The Na+ and Cl– concentration is roughly 4 times the concentration of natural seawater.
The lake (in northwestern Iran) is named after the provincial capital city of Urmia, originally a Syriac name meaning city of water.