Lake Urmia, in northwestern Iran, is named after the provincial capital city of Urmia, originally an Assyrian (Syriac) name meaning city of water (ur = city and mia = water). The lake has 102 islands. The second largest island, Kaboudi, is the burial place of Hulagu Khan, the grandson of Genghis Khan. One of the earliest references to Lake Urmia is from Assyrian records from the 9th century BC.

The area surrounding the lake has historically been inhabited by Assyrians. There is a village (from 700 BC) nearby with the name Ashur. There are 115 Assyrian villages in Urmia (map).

Satellite image showing the decrease in the size of the lake caused by drought and increased demand for agricultural water.