Ancient Sunken Castle Discovered Beneath Turkish Lake

It spans more than a half-mile, archaeologists say.

November 22, 2017 10:00 am
(National Geographic/YouTube)
(National Geographic/YouTube)

Archaeologists from the Van Yüzüncü Yıl University have revealed the discovery of a 3,000-year-old castle submerged deep within Lake Van in Turkey.

“There was a rumor that there might be something under the water, but most archaeologists and museum officials told us that we won’t find anything,” Tahsin Ceylan, the head of the project’s diving team, told Daily Sabah.

Most archaeologists and museum officials were wrong. The castle has been well preserved by the lake’s alkaline waters, Science Alert reports, and researchers believe that the water level was once much lower than it is today.

Ceylan calls the discovery “a miracle.”

“We have detected the castle’s exact location and photographed it and have made progress in our research. We now believe we have discovered a new area for archaeologists and historians to study,” Ceylan said.

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