Archaeological Team Discovers Silk Road City Submerged in Lake Issyk-Kul, Kyrgyzstan
A team of archaeologists from the Russian and Kyrgyz Academies of Sciences has found the remains of a medieval trading hub submerged in Lake Issyk-Kul, Kyrgyzstan. The city is thought to have sunk due to a massive earthquake in the early 15th century.
Underwater research at depths of 1–4 meters identified ancient streets, public buildings, and a burial complex. Finds like baked brick walls and stone millstones indicate an advanced urban layout.
Traces of Islamic civilization were also discovered, including indications of a mosque, public baths, a madrasa, and a Muslim burial complex covering around 14 hectares. Some graves have been eroded by the lake's waves, revealing skeletons buried according to Islamic tradition.
Before Islam, the area was multicultural, with Tengrist, Buddhist, and Nestorian Christian traditions. Further research using tree-ring analysis and radiocarbon dating is being carried out to pinpoint the disaster's timing, while also documenting this Silk Road heritage threatened by erosion.
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