A submerged city with streets, buildings and even a cemetery has been discovered at the bottom of Lake Issyk-Kul.
Archaeologists and divers explored a site near the village of Toru-Aygyr and identified several areas with preserved walls, beams and pottery. According to the researchers, these are not random finds but evidence of a fully developed settlement.
The city lies at a depth of one to four meters. Despite this, traces of the people who lived there before the area was submerged remain beneath a layer of sand.
Underwater, researchers found the remains of brick buildings, ovens, animal bones and evidence of metalworking. This suggests that the settlement was not only residential, but also likely a craft and trading center.
A Muslim cemetery dating back to the 13th or 14th centuries was discovered near the buildings. The burials are oriented toward Mecca, confirming the religious traditions of the residents.
Researchers believe the city was located along one of the routes of the Great Silk Road. Caravans passed through these areas, spreading goods along with ideas, culture and religion.
Scientists are still investigating how the city ended up underwater. One theory is that a powerful earthquake in the 15th century altered the terrain and flooded the settlement. However, despite comparisons to the myth of Atlantis, scientists note that the city was most likely abandoned before the disaster.
Last year, researchers identified submerged remnants of massive stone constructions built by human communities more than 7,000 years ago off the coast of France. The findings, detailed in a study in the International Journal of Nautical Archaeology, shed new light on early coastal societies in Western Europe.
