A team of investigator , divers , and subaqueous photographer recently uncovered a mysterious castle at the bottom of a huge lake . diving event in Lake Van in Turkey ’s eastern Van Province , they discovered a 3,000 - year - old fortress that has been enshroud beneath the weewee for decades .
labor leader Tahsin Ceylan , from Van Yüzüncü Yıl University , was at first searching the lake for another caption – the frighteningLake Van monster . Although he has n’t discover the teras , bring out an ancient castle is still jolly exciting .
" There was a rumour that there might be something under the pee but most archaeologists and museum officials tell us that we wo n’t discover anything , " Ceylan distinguish theDaily Sabah . But the rumor environ unfeigned . After about a decennary of searching , the team ’s efforts were in the end reinforce .
The castle is about 1 kilometer ( 0.6 miles ) in length , with paries attain 3 to 4 meters ( 10 - 13 feet ) high . Luckily , the alkaline conditions of the lake have keep it in fairly good stipulation .
As it is made mainly from mown stones , the castle is thought to be from theUrartucivilization , which live during the Iron Age . It reached its point between the 9th and sixth centuries BCE . The civilization is sometimes referred to as the Kingdom of Van .
The Lake ’s water levels have changed a lot over the past few thousand years , so it ’s likely that many groups could have lived there back when it was shallow than it is today .
" Many civilisations and people had adjudicate around Lake Van , " Ceylan toldHurriyet Daily News . " They name the lake the ' upper sea ' and think it had many mysterious things . With this impression in intellect , we are working to reveal the lake ’s ' secret ' . "
The rook is n’t all the team have found buried beneath the water . In fact , just last twelvemonth they found 4 straightforward klick ( 1.5 hearty naut mi ) of stalagmite , which they nicknamed “ submersed poove chimneys ” . They even found gravestones go steady back 1,000 age . This year , they uncovered aRussian shipthought to have sunk in 1948 .
" It is a miracle to find this castle underwater . archeologist will come here to examine the castling ’s account and provide information on it , " Ceylan added .
There ’s still a lot to find out out about the castle . For good example , it ’s still ill-defined how far the wall are inter in the sediment at the bottom of the lake . larn more about the fortress could provide new clues about the masses who make it .
" We now believe we have pick up a raw area for archaeologists and historians to meditate , " said Ceylan .
