The history of the discovery of this forgotten city is very interesting, since it was discovered by chance, by one researcher who wanted to catch a water "monster". Takhsin Ceylan, that was the name of the researcher, heard the legend that a "monster" was swimming in Lake Van and decided to hunt him down and catch him. But instead of him, he discovered the ruins of the city in the depths of the lake, he decided to share his find with experts, but all as one answered him that there was nothing interesting in this lake, let alone the ruins of the city.
But this did not stop Ceylan, he nevertheless decided to explore this lake himself. At first, the diving team was lucky to find tombstones and stalagmites, in the form of a large square field, the length of which was 4 km and the age reaches 1000 years. After that, they found the remains of a Russian ship that sank in this lake about 70 years ago. After these two finds, it would seem that there is nothing more interesting there, but not here, it was, persistent divers still managed to find a real treasure.
In the depths of the lake, a huge castle was discovered in almost perfect condition. Despite the fact that the age of the castle is estimated at 3000 years, it has perfectly preserved walls 4 meters high, stretching for more than 1 kilometer.
For such a good preservation of the castle, one can thank the water of the lake. The water in the lake has an alkaline formula, which contains a high concentration of soda. Because of this, swimming in the lake is not recommended.
After the discovery of the castle, the scientists could no longer stand aside and got involved in the work. After the first data, they put forward a version that the sunken castle was built by the long-lost civilization of Urartu, also known as the Kingdom of Van. This state flourished in the 9th-6th centuries BC. Over the past millennia, the water level in the lake has repeatedly changed, and the flooded city, apparently, was located lower, but the water rose and flooded the city, hiding it in its depths.
But the search did not end on the discovered castle, now professional researchers got down to business, and they continued their studies. They want to find out as much information as possible about the people of that time, the buildings themselves, and much more.
Takhsin Ceylan may not have caught his "monster", but he managed to make a real archaeological discovery that will be remembered for many years.
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