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Medieval Silk Road City Found Submerged in Kyrgyzstan Lake
The medieval Silk Road city sank after a 15th-century earthquake; archaeologists uncovered fired-brick buildings, a Muslim necropolis, and artifacts in Lake Issyk-Kul.
- An RGS-funded underwater survey in the fall of 2025 revealed the Toru-Aygyr complex off Lake Issyk-Kul's northwestern shore, confirming a medieval Silk Road city once stood there.
- Centuries of Silk Road use made the settlement vulnerable when researchers say a powerful earthquake in the early 15th century caused the city to collapse and sink beneath the lake, Valery Kolchenko said.
- Divers and underwater drones revealed fired‑brick structures, a medieval millstone, and a 13th‑14th century Muslim necropolis covering 300 by 200 m, with graves aligned to the qibla.
- Samples are already en route for dendrochronological analysis and AMS dating, and the season's results will underpin scientific publications and preservation initiatives with artifact recovery planned next season.
- Modern mapping tools allowed researchers to use underwater drones, sonar and photogrammetry to create a monitoring database for the site's condition and uncover Silk Road commerce and multicultural ties.
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Lost medieval city discovered beneath a Kyrgyzstan lake stuns archaeologists
A newly excavated underwater settlement beneath Lake Issyk-Kul may significantly reshape historians’ understanding of Central Asia’s ancient trade networks, revealing evidence of a large, organised Silk Road city that once connected merchants, cultures and religions across vast distances before a catastrophic earthquake sent it underwater.
·India
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Coverage Details
Total News Sources31
Leaning Left2Leaning Right7Center6Last UpdatedBias Distribution47% Right
Bias Distribution
- 47% of the sources lean Right
47% Right
13%
C 40%
R 47%
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